[Vocabulary] deft

[constantinusphilo]

The meaning of deft is 'skillful', usually at manual work. However, in the following phrase, it must have another meaning: the deft lines of nose and jaw and mouth (from The Secret History by Donna Tartt). So, what does 'deft' mean here?

 

[Tdol]

It strikes me as bad writing.

 

[constantinusphilo]

I suspect it might be a typo, the copy I have downloaded from Z library has many.

 

[emsr2d2]

I suspect it might be a typo; the copy I have downloaded from Z-Library has many.

emsr2d2

 

[Tarheel]

The brain is trained to know what to to look for. So when we are reading something we know what to expect, and when we encounter a typo we know what should be there. However, that of course requires context. The word "deft" doesn't seem to work there, but I don't have enough to go on for anything more than a guess, and I don't have one. (The word "deft" might have been exactly what the writer meant to say, but I can't be at all sure of that.)

 

[Tdol]

It could be an attempt to describe the facial lines as sharp and stylish.

 

[constantinusphilo]

This is what I thought.

 

[Tdol]

A face seen as an artist's work- that makes sense to me.