difference in meaning?

alinel · #1 23-Mar-2006, 19:24

I have been discussing with some other students (we are all non-native speakers of English) about whether there exists a difference in meaning between the two expressions "the still of the night" and "the stillness of the night". Some of us felt a slight difference between "still" and "stillness" but none of us could come up with an explanation. What do you think?

**Tdol** · #2 24-Mar-2006, 05:35

The former is much more common, so the latter is sometimes used for effect- mainly emphasis IMO.

fabiopepper · #3 02-Jun-2006, 19:49

I think there´s a novel by Dean A. Koontz called "In the still of the night"
I have a question for you and your friends Alinel...what does "in the dead of night" mean???does it mean the same as "in the still of the night"?

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