Ella aveva sfilate le braccia dalle maniche, quelle braccia non molli ma salde che pur sembravano portare la più fresca freschezza della vita come una ghirlanda rinnovata a ogni alba. Nude le larghe spalle emergevano, e le piccole mammelle sul petto largo come il petto delle Muse vocali, dall'ossatura palese di sotto i muscoli smilzi. L'orlo della camicia era squisito di scollo e di ricamo, il busto connesso aveva la tenuità e la perfezione d'un calice florale, ingegnosi e preziosi di fibbie e di nodi erano i legàccioli che di là si partivano a rattenere le calze, tutti gli invòlucri partecipavano dell'intima grazia e sembravano arricchirsi e affinarsi quanto più s'avvicinavano alla pelle; ma ora cadevano come ingombri morbidi, disdicevoli a quel corpo come a una statua severa, quasi respinti da una severità superba che ingrandiva e poliva ogni rilievo a simiglianza del sasso. Quando, tolta la scarpa, ella fece macchinalmente il gesto consueto tirando la punta della calza rimasta aderente all'unghia del pollice, egli ne fu attonito come d'una piccola maniera femminina che contrastasse a quella potenza. In ginocchio, sguainò egli stesso le lunghe gambe lisce. E così ella fu tutta nuda, senza sorridere. (D'Annunzio - Forse che sì forse che no)
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* Vero è che oramai desideravo tutta Ada cui avevo continuato a levigare assiduamente le guancie , a impicciolire le mani e i piedi e ad isveltire e affinare la taglia .(I.Svevo - La coscienza di zeno)<>
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aggentilire
= verbo trans. ingentilire aggentilirsi
= verbo rifl. ingentilirsi , affinarsi .<>
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stellare
= verbo transitivo nelle costruzioni navali , affinare lo scafo a prua e a poppa . <>
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Bennet, whose dislike ofhis general behaviour was sharpened into particular resentment by hishaving slighted one of her daughters.<>
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(Jane Austen - Pride and prejudice ) This part of his intelligence, though unheard by Lydia, was caught byElizabeth, and, as it assured her that Darcy was not less answerable forWickham's absence than if her first surmise had been just, everyfeeling of displeasure against the former was so sharpened by immediatedisappointment, that she could hardly reply with tolerable civility tothe polite inquiries which he directly afterwards approached to make.<>
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I could have screamed with ecstasy when I dined alonewith some fine roaring fellow, to think how pale he would have turned,and how fast he would have run, if he had known that the dear friend whosat close to him, sharpening a bright, glittering knife, was a madmanwith all the power, and half the will, to plunge it in his heart.<>
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( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) Such having been the demeanour of this celebrated public charactertowards Mr. Winkle, it will be readily imagined that considerablesurprise was depicted on the countenance of the latter gentleman, when,as he was sitting alone in the breakfast-room, the door was hastilythrown open, and as hastily closed, on the entrance of Mr. Pott, who,stalking majestically towards him, and thrusting aside his profferedhand, ground his teeth, as if to put a sharper edge on what he was aboutto utter, and exclaimed, in a saw-like voice--'Serpent!Sir!' exclaimed Mr. Winkle, starting from his chair.<>
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By Jove!' said Perker, taking both hands out of his pockets, andstriking the knuckles of his right against the palm of his left,emphatically, 'those are the cleverest scamps I ever had anything to dowith!The sharpest practitioners I ever knew, Sir,' observed Lowten.<>
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Dodson & Fogg, continue in business, fromwhich they realise a large income, and in which they are universallyconsidered among the sharpest of the sharp.<>
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It was dusk turningto dark; and as all that mountain air sharpens suddenly after sunset, asmall stove stood on the flagstones, glowing with red eyes like agoblin, and painting a red pattern on the pavement; but scarcely a rayof it reached the lower bricks of the great bare, brown brick wall thatwent soaring up above them into the deep blue night.<>
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The question sounded the sharper because it was followed by a heavysilence, almost as if the distinguished Oriental traveller had, withimperfect politeness, gone to sleep.<>
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It's awfully hard to get;like focusing smaller and sharper in a wobbling camera.<>
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Begin by thinking of being a greedy child; of howyou might have stolen a sweet in a shop; of how there was one particularsweet you wanted … then you must subtract the childish poetry; shut offthe fairy light that shone on the sweet-stuff shop; imagine you reallythink you know the world and the market value of sweets … you contractyour mind like the camera focus … the thing shapes and then sharpens .<>
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