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Literary notes about whiff (AI summary)

Writers often use "whiff" to evoke a transient, sensory impression that carries deeper emotional or atmospheric significance. It can denote a literal trace of scent—be it the nostalgic aroma of tobacco drawn from a pipe ([1], [2]) or the refreshing hint of air and nature ([3], [4])—while simultaneously suggesting a fleeting moment of mood or memory. In some narratives, a "whiff" hints at impending change or danger ([5], [6]), and in others it serves as a delicate reminder of past experiences or lost youth ([7], [8]). This versatility enriches the text by blending physical sensation with metaphor, creating layers of meaning that enhance the reader’s engagement.
  1. Mr. St. John took a whiff of his cigarette.
    — from The Heavenly Twins by Sarah Grand
  2. " "I will get in another cherub's nose," said his master, preparing to relight his pipe for a whiff before going to work again.
    — from Marzio's Crucifix, and Zoroaster by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford
  3. The very memory of it brings back a whiff of spring. . . .
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
  4. It was the big gum-tree outside Mrs. Stubbs' shop, and as they passed by there was a strong whiff of eucalyptus.
    — from The Garden Party, and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield
  5. He is fortunate indeed if it is only a whiff and he can adjust his mask before greater disaster overwhelms him.
    — from Huts in Hell by Daniel A. (Daniel Alfred) Poling
  6. But theirs,’ he says, ‘are white as paper and not so much smell as a whiff of gunpowder.’
    — from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy
  7. A whiff of the fragrance of his youth, a touch of the sentimentality of her girlhood, idealised Corporation Road as they parted in the fog.
    — from Conrad in Quest of His Youth: An Extravagance of Temperament by Leonard Merrick
  8. A whiff of warm breath, a little soft tuft on its paw—: and immediately wert thou ready to love and lure it.
    — from Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book for All and None by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

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