Literary notes about flair (AI summary)
In literature, "flair" often denotes a distinctive, almost innate quality that imbues characters or actions with a special style or degree of excellence. It can capture a refined sense of social distinction, as when a gentleman’s dog is noted for its refined social flair [1], or it can hint at a peculiar knack, such as an inexplicable tendency to attend funerals [2]. Authors also use the term to highlight an artist’s natural gift for criticism, suggesting that flair is less about learned technique and more about an inborn, ineffable talent [3]. Moreover, flair might describe an individual’s exceptional ability to solve complex cases or orchestrate dramatic moments, thereby lending an aura of effortless mastery [4]. This multifaceted use of flair emphasizes both the subtle instinct and cultivated style that set certain characters and actions apart from the ordinary.
- He never for a moment forgets that he is a gentleman's dog, and his flair for social distinctions is as fine as that of any of his fellow Oxford dons.
— from The Worn Doorstep by Margaret Pollock Sherwood - I seem to have a flair for funerals somehow.
— from The Foolish Lovers by St. John G. (St. John Greer) Ervine - May 19, 1878.—Criticism is above all a gift, an intuition, a matter of tact and flair ; it cannot be taught or demonstrated—it is an art.
— from Amiel's Journal: The Journal Intime of Henri-Frédéric Amiel by Henri Frédéric Amiel - As a detective, his flair had been extraordinary, and he had achieved triumphs by unravelling some of the most baffling cases of the day.
— from The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
