The well-turned phrase

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

In a training session for the teachers at my school, we were talking about elements of good writing (with an eye to how to teach them to children) and one of the things we agreed on was unusual words or original ways of putting things. One of my teachers is going through the Newbery Medal winners, starting with the first one, and when she got to GAY NECK: THE STORY OF A PIGEON, she was telling me one phrase that she absolutely loved: "sapphire intangibility" (describing the sky). I know there have been many phrases that have struck me in books that I've read, and I've decided to start gathering them, from other teachers and from myself, and posting them on the walls where children can read them.

So, tell me: What are some phrases or sentences (nothing longer than a sentence) that you find memorable? Mostly from Thief, QoA, and KoA, but any other books, too. (If you're like me, the minute you try to remember them you'll find you can't, but do persevere).

Comments

[traboule.livejournal.com]

"No one on the verge of death has the strength to pile one foul word on top of another like a man compiling a layered pastry of obscene language." KoA. I love this one. Just - the care in describing exactly how Gen puts together what we learn later is a rather elaborate performance.
Also, Attolia's wonderful acceptance at the end of QoA - "Do you know what my answer is?" "Yes." "Yes." Love this one too.

I've always been weirdly comforted by a Lymond line, when one rather severe character says to a very emotionally distraught character, "You are not going to fall." Given that he's basically in shock at this point, it proves highly effective but there's a certain weight to the phrase which makes it memorable out of context as well.

Neil Gaiman is excessively memorable - I think about half of what he writes is presented as tidy, witty epigrams. Things like, "I lost some time one...it's always the last place you look for it."

Lord Peter's "They can keep the harmony as long as they leave us the counterpoint" is at top of my list of sappy romantic quotes (well, maybe the world's greatest alternative marriage proposal is top top), which seem to be mostly what I remember.

This is a neat post - a bonus While She Knits...or at least, it's doing that to my Need to Read list. More books! More books that aren't class-related!

[philia-fan.livejournal.com]

I love the obscene pastry line -- I often turn that one over in my head and smile.