Literary notes about ruffle (AI summary)
The word “ruffle” in literature serves a dual purpose, acting both as a description of physical detail and as a metaphor for disturbance or agitation. On one hand, it is used to depict delicately ornamented details in clothing and natural settings—as seen when a pin is removed from a ribbon adorning a petticoat [1], when lace frills enhance a character’s appearance [2], or when the gentle ruffle of water is noted under a sloop’s bow [3]. On the other hand, “ruffle” conveys the idea of an upset or agitated state, whether referring to a calm nature untroubled by scandal [4, 5] or to a temper subtly provoked by a minor offense [6, 7]. This versatility not only enriches the imagery of a scene but also bridges the material and emotional aspects of the narrative, creating a layered effect that deepens the reader’s engagement.
- Iris took a pin from a loop of ribbon that adorned her petticoat ruffle,
— from The Diamond Pin by Carolyn Wells - He took an immense amount of snuff, and had a particularly graceful manner of plucking at his lace ruffle with the back of one hand.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - From the great bay below the house came the ruffle of water—the wind was freshening.
— from An Accidental Honeymoon by Edward Barron - Nothing ever seemed to ruffle the gay current of his good nature.
— from An Old Man's Darling by Miller, Alex. McVeigh, Mrs. - Newspapers were teeming with misrepresentations of the President's course, but they failed to ruffle him.
— from Autobiography of Andrew Dickson White — Volume 1 by Andrew Dickson White - [Pg 54] "I don't know why he does so, but when anything seems to ruffle him he generally goes there."
— from Long Odds by Harold Bindloss - His face is perfectly passionless, as if not even so terrible a combat could ruffle the serenity of his angelic nature.
— from The Catholic World, Vol. 25, April 1877 to September 1877 by Various
