What do you mean by the word "slack" in this sentence?
"...what is meant by "literary" is a somewhat "heightened" style, employing words and allusions familiar to us from our reading, but not commonly used in conversation, words which are free from slack, dull hues of so many everyday words."

Thank you so much! God bless.

Question

What do you mean by the word "slack" in this sentence?
"...what is meant by "literary" is a somewhat "heightened" style, employing words and allusions familiar to us from our reading, but not commonly used in conversation, words which are free from slack, dull hues of so many everyday words."

Thank you so much! God bless.

Answer

The phrase that follows - "dull hues of so many everyday words" - explains in further detail what the writer means by "slack." "Slack" means "not tight," such as a slack or loose rope that needs to be tightened in order to hold something securely. The author implies that words used in everyday conversation have lost their "freshness" or power, because they are heard so commonly.

Answer

"Slack" here means "loose", the opposite of taut. "Slack, dull hues" is a metaphor describing the fact that commonly spoken words don't have the same power to make you visualize and immerse yourself in the same way literary writing style does.

Nie przegap okazji, by nauczyć się języka w zaciszu własnego domu. Przejrzyj naszą ofertę doświadczonych korepetytorów i zapisz się na pierwszą lekcję już teraz!