Short of

[Johnyxxx]

Hello,

Can anybody tell me if she was wearing clothes that were out of date and if she used her legs for practical reasons and not to show them off?


She was, I saw then, a woman of somewhere between forty and fifty, spare, erect, with the kind of long face and heavy nose that are supposed to be typical of the New England spinster. She had a bandanna of some sort tied over her hair and was wearing a tailored suit which was something short of fashionable. Her walk suggested that she used her legs for getting across country rather than fascination. And yet, there was nothing daunting or formidable about her. I liked the way she came over to us and did not begin speaking till she was on the steps.

William Sloane, Edge of Running Water, 1939.


Thanks a lot.

 

[J&K Tutoring]

Short of = less than.

The second sentence means she did not walk in a feminine or sexy way.

 

[Johnyxxx]

And what does a heavy nose look like? Is it big?

Thanks a lot for helping me.

 

[GoesStation]

And what does a heavy nose look like? Is it big?

Thanks a lot for helping me.

In this context, I picture a bulbous nose that has grown wider with age.

 

[Johnyxxx]

Well, I am not sure it could mean "bulbous". There is a mention in the story later on that, "he was a big man, something like his sister in face, but heavier of nose and jaw."

Thank you for helping me.