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Is it alright to say, ''A wary finger?''?
Is it alright to say -- He pointed with a wary finger.
Or --She stayed him with a stubborn hand.
Obviously, it is the people who are wary or stubborn. Just wondered if it was okay to write it this way.
Thanks for that correction, Ghost of Christmas Past. All education is grist to the mill and all right by me LOL.
Thank you, RAY G. I did not know that. The literary hand of Candy will now write more confidently.
5 Answers
- 7 years agoFavorite Answer
Sure it is. In fact, this is a very excellent way of writing, because you convey both the action, and the underlying emotion of the actor at the same time. It's great economy of words.
- RAY GLv 77 years ago
It's absolutely fine - but you need to be very sure how and when to use it.
It's a literary metaphorical device called "transferred epithet" (see Wikipedia / Hypallage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypallage ).
"... The poor condemned English,
Like sacrifices, by their watchful fires
Sit patiently and inly ruminate."
- Shakespeare, Henry V
"As I sat in the bathtub, soaping a meditative foot ..."
- PG Wodehouse
- BazzaLv 77 years ago
Neither makes proper sense. Adjective needs attaching to the person not a body part.
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- 7 years ago
The second one is ok but I think the first should be "He pointed warily with his finger".
