His face was round and his eyes were merry.

[Nonverbis]

merry adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

Definition of merry adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

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HIs face was round and his eyes were merry.

Am I alone who finds this example a bit astonishing?

Being merry is a current and maybe temporary state.
Being round faced is constant.

When he gets sullen, he will not become cheekpony.

If I'm not mistaken this figure of speech is called zeugma. But this is Oxford. Authority and the like.
Or maybe I can't understand something. Could you comment?

 

[5jj]

Am I alone who finds this example a bit astonishing?

Probably.

When he gets sullen, he will not become cheekpony.

What does that mean?

If I'm not mistaken this figure of speech is called zeugma.

You are mistaken.

 

[Nonverbis]

What does that mean?

They say his eyes were merry. What has it to do with the roundnes of his face.
These two facts must be somehow connected. By the way, especially in a dictionary where there is the dictionary word in a sentence, and everything else is either directly connected with this word (like a preposition) or helps reveal the mood or intention or something of the kind.

The roundness of his face has nothing to do with his being merry. What does it illustrate. If I understand this phrase correctly of course (sometimes we miss idioms or something).

 

[Skrej]

Round-faced isn't referring as much to the physical bone structure as much as it is signifying that the flesh on it is plump and full. One's face might become gaunt or sunken, and become angular and flat instead of round if you're unhealthy or starving.

He's happy partially because he's well-fed and in apparently good health, at least for the moment. It's something of a metaphor more than an exacting physical description.

 

[5jj]

i asked you what this means: When he gets sullen, he will not become cheekpony.

They say his eyes were merry. What has it to do with the roundnes of his face.
These two facts must be somehow connected.

They are. They are things the writer is mentioning about 'his' face.

By the way, especially in a dictionary where there is the dictionary word in a sentence, and everything else is either directly connected with this word (like a preposition) or helps reveal the mood or intention or something of the kind.

I don't see the point you are trying to make.

The roundness of his face has nothing to do with his being merry.

Except that we often associate a round face (and rosy cheeeks) with being merry,

What does it illustrate. If I understand this phrase correctly of course (sometimes we miss idioms or something).

 

[Nonverbis]

When he gets sullen, he will not become cheekpony.

This means that once upon a time he gets sullen. If we suppose that between the fwo facts there is a cause-effect relation, then his face must change its roundness.

Exceot that we often associate a round face (and rosy cheeeks) with being merry,

This may be the reason why I can't understand it. Strange association, as for me. Cultural gap. Rosy cheeks is understandable. But round face - sounds strange.

Thank you.

 

[5jj]

When he gets sullen, he will not become cheekpony.

I have no idea what you mean by become cheekpony.

This means that once upon a time he gets sullen. If we suppose that between the fwo facts there is a cause-effect relation, then his face must change its roundness.

Sorry, but I don't know what you mean by that, either.

 

[Skrej]

When he gets sullen, he will not become cheekpony.

I have no idea what you mean by become cheekpony.

Neither do I, but for some reason I instinctively like it. It just sounds like something useful that needs to exist in English, but regrettably doesn't.

I motion to establish definition and adopt into English vernacular.

 

[jutfrank]

I don't see why having a round face and having merry eyes have to be causally related, or connected in any way other than being two ways to describe his features.

By 'cheekpony', I assume Nonverbis means 'cheek-bony', i.e., having defined cheekbones.

 

[probus]

My guess would be it means he looked like Santa Claus (Father Christmas).

 

[5jj]

he looked like Santa Claus (Father Christmas).

That was the picture that came to my mind.