Here I took a really boring image of seeds and dead leaves, cropped it several ways, played around with coloured layers and the saturation sliders and framed them as a triptych. Mad but quite fun.
And quite beautiful! I said that meaning very beautiful -- then remembered that perhaps the British usage of quite may be more qualified. If I say 'I quite liked that, I would mean I really liked it. Would a Brit mean something different? My question is based on an exchange with an English lady (now deceased) many years ago. I didn't clear up the misunderstanding at the time so am asking for clarification now, better late than never.
Yes, you're right. 'Quite beautiful' over here means 'a little bit beautiful' - though I do understand that's not how others use the word. We might say something is 'quite expensive' meaning 'bordering on expensive, certainly not cheap but not mega expensive either'. So 'quite' is generally a qualifying word. I think there are some occasions when we'd use 'quite' in the 'very' or 'really' sense, like you, too. 'She was quite stunning' might be understood to mean 'extremely stunning' though 'He was quite handsome' might mean 'a little bit handsome'. It's subtle - and easier to understand if it's spoken than written.
You are quite right....the intonation is what differentiates the meaning. You know one thing that drives me a little crazy is when people say that something is quite unique, or very unique, or less unique......unique means one and only, something is either unique or it is not!
I think this is a stunning triptych. Blow it up and show it somewhere. Amazing. I am serious. Although writing from the USA, I am usually restrained in my responses....so such a full fledged endorsement is not usual for me. I do think you've got something here.
That's very effective.
ReplyDeleteThey look like avant garde stained glass windows.
ReplyDeleteAnd quite beautiful! I said that meaning very beautiful -- then remembered that perhaps the British usage of quite may be more qualified. If I say 'I quite liked that, I would mean I really liked it. Would a Brit mean something different? My question is based on an exchange with an English lady (now deceased) many years ago. I didn't clear up the misunderstanding at the time so am asking for clarification now, better late than never.
ReplyDeleteYes, you're right. 'Quite beautiful' over here means 'a little bit beautiful' - though I do understand that's not how others use the word. We might say something is 'quite expensive' meaning 'bordering on expensive, certainly not cheap but not mega expensive either'. So 'quite' is generally a qualifying word. I think there are some occasions when we'd use 'quite' in the 'very' or 'really' sense, like you, too. 'She was quite stunning' might be understood to mean 'extremely stunning' though 'He was quite handsome' might mean 'a little bit handsome'. It's subtle - and easier to understand if it's spoken than written.
DeleteYou are quite right....the intonation is what differentiates the meaning. You know one thing that drives me a little crazy is when people say that something is quite unique, or very unique, or less unique......unique means one and only, something is either unique or it is not!
DeleteI think this is a stunning triptych. Blow it up and show it somewhere. Amazing. I am serious. Although writing from the USA, I am usually restrained in my responses....so such a full fledged endorsement is not usual for me. I do think you've got something here.
ReplyDeleteJudith, thank you. That's very kind. As it happens, it will be in my camera club's exhibition over the summer.
DeleteI like the result!
ReplyDelete