Literary notes about cushy (AI summary)
The term “cushy” in literature frequently conveys a sense of ease or comfort, though its usage often carries an ironic or nuanced twist. In war narratives, for instance, a “cushy wound” isn’t merely a minor injury but a welcomed respite from danger—a break that promises a period of convalescence or relief from the rigors of battle [1][2][3][4][5]. On the other hand, when describing occupations or roles, “cushy” indicates not only ease but sometimes a controversial privilege, as with cushy jobs that imply both enviable comfort and detachment from genuine risk or effort [6][7][8][9][10]. Moreover, the term appears in playful, lyrical contexts—its repetition in refrains like “Cushy cow bonny, let down your milk” transforms it into a musical motif, reinforcing an image of carefree felicity even as it subtly undercuts the severity of harsher realities [11][12][13][14].
- He hopes the wound when it comes will be a "cushy one."
— from The Soul of the Soldier: Sketches from the Western Battle-Front by Thomas Tiplady - 'Just a "cushy" wound, that'll bring him home on a three months' leave, and give her the bore of nursing him.'
— from Missing by Ward, Humphry, Mrs. - Look who’s over there with a nice cushy wound to keep him out of trouble.
— from Aces Up by Covington Clarke - The best thing we could wish a man was a "cushy wound," one that would not prove fatal, or a "Blighty one."
— from Trenching at Gallipoli The personal narrative of a Newfoundlander with the ill-fated Dardanelles expedition by John Gallishaw - The best thing we could wish a man was a "cushy wound," one that would not prove fatal.
— from World's War Events, Vol. I - And big hackers WERE his friends and didn't want to screw up his cushy situation.
— from The Hacker Crackdown: Law and Disorder on the Electronic Frontier by Bruce Sterling - The job as a cushy one: I know The way to succeed as a bard.
— from Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 159, October 27, 1920 by Various - Or do you think you're goin' to get a cushy job in camp here?”
— from Three Soldiers by John Dos Passos - As a reward, I suspect, I was picked for Orderly Corporal, a cushy job.
— from A Yankee in the Trenches by Robert Derby Holmes - He had been offered a “cushy” job in acknowledgment of his services.
— from The Gay Triangle: The Romance of the First Air Adventurers by William Le Queux - The Cuckoo is a bonny bird Cushy Cow bonny, let down your milk Daffy-down-dilly is new come to town Dear Sensibility, O la!
— from The Only True Mother Goose MelodiesWithout Addition or Abridgement by Unknown - Cushy cow bonny, let down thy milk, And I will give thee a gown of silk; A gown of silk and a silver tee, If thou wilt let down thy milk to me.
— from How to Tell Stories to Children, and Some Stories to Tell by Sara Cone Bryant - 21 Cushy Cow bonny, let down your milk, And I will give you a gown of silk, A gown of silk and a silver tee, If you’ll let down your milk to me.
— from The Only True Mother Goose MelodiesWithout Addition or Abridgement by Unknown - Cushy Cow bonny, let down your milk, And I will give you a gown of silk, A gown of silk and a silver tee, If you'll let down your milk to me.
— from The Only True Mother Goose Melodies by Anonymous
