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Literary notes about uncommon (AI summary)

The word uncommon in literature is often employed as a subtle intensifier that elevates ordinary qualities into something striking, rare, or notably exceptional. It may describe physical beauty or elegance, as when a character’s grace suggests a born royalty [1], or it can highlight an extraordinary degree of wisdom or talent [2]. At times, it functions to underscore particular behaviors or circumstances, signaling a departure from everyday norms—whether in character traits that defy common expectations [3] or in societal practices that, while not unheard of, still stand out for their distinctiveness [4]. In this way, uncommon serves as a versatile descriptor that both celebrates and distinguishes what sets persons, actions, or phenomena apart.
  1. May I ask you whether your father was a king, for your uncommon beauty and your stately demeanour show that you are a born princess.
    — from Folk-Tales of Bengal by Lal Behari Day
  2. Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.—
    — from Pearls of Thought by Maturin Murray Ballou
  3. Then why should HE escape?" "Because," said I, "his is an uncommon character, and he has resolutely kept himself outside the circle, Richard."
    — from Bleak House by Charles Dickens
  4. “It pays uncommon cert'nly,” continues the guard.
    — from Tom Brown's School Days by Thomas Hughes

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