steep adj

steep adj
Dances with Cucumbers May 5, 1863 -- Here on the frontier, I sometimes wonder if the ancients were right. With no other friendly face within 150 miles, it seems as if I have fallen off the edge of the Earth. I spend my time now reading what books I have and cultivating my patch of cucumbers (which I brought back from the Holy Land, cf. Prince of Thieves). The "purpose" of this fort, to hold back the Indians, has fallen away with my civilized veneer. May 7, 1863 -- This morning I had an interesting and silent encounter. One of the tribe of Indians nearby watched me perform my morning tasks and then left without a word. I am excited by the prospect of contact with the natives of the area. May 20, 1863 -- I have finally convinced the Indians to parlay with me. I taught them the word for "fort", feeling that it would be simple enough for them to learn. They in turn taught me the Indian word "titonka", apparently a small but tough, powerfully merchandised horseless carriage of metal construction. I envy these people their simplicity. June 7, 1863 -- Today I visited the Indians' village. It is on one of the many flat-topped plateaus in the area. As the decline of the buffalo proceeds, so too does this Indian tribe face decline. I will try to teach them agriculture. They have also told me their name for themselves. It is "Anasazi"... which apparently means "people called Anasazi" in their language. I am called by them "Stinchapecsal" which means "he who should bathe more regularly". July 8, 1863 -- A rude awakening. The Indians are fully aware of agriculture and in fact have nothing to do with the buffalo (what kind of nomadic tribe would build a village on a mesa?); unfortunately, they are suffering a drought. Knowing a remedy, I have told them to dig a ditch from the nearby stream up the mountainside to their mesa-top fields. In the meantime, I am pickling my cucumbers. July 20, 1863 -- The drought is desperate, but the ditch is finished and my pickles are ready. I am lining the ditch with pickles. The Anasazi are doubtful, but I have promised them results in the morning. July 21, 1863 -- Success! The stream has been diverted and now flows up the mountainside to the Anasazi fields. Amazed by this seeming magic, I told them that it was simply a well-known fact in my world. After all, everyone knows that "dill waters run steep".

English expressions. 2014.

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  • steep — adj Steep, abrupt, precipitous, sheer mean having an incline approaching the perpendicular. The words are here arranged in ascending order of degree of perpendicularity. Steep implies so sharp a slope or pitch that ascent or descent is difficult… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • steep — steep1 steeply, adv. steepness, n. /steep/, adj., steeper, steepest, n. adj. 1. having an almost vertical slope or pitch, or a relatively high gradient, as a hill, an ascent, stairs, etc. 2. (of a price or amount) unduly high; exorbitant: Those …   Universalium

  • steep — {{11}}steep (adj.) having a sharp slope, O.E. steap high, lofty, from P.Gmc. *staupaz (Cf. O.Fris. stap, M.H.G. *stouf), from PIE *steup to push, stick, knock, beat, with derivations referring to projecting objects (Cf. Gk. typtein to strike,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • steep — steep1 [stēp] adj. [ME < OE steap, lofty, high, akin to OFris steep, MHG stouf, cliff (as in Ger Hohenstaufen) < IE * steup < base * (s)teu , to strike, butt > STOCK, STUB, L tundere, to strike] 1. having a sharp rise or highly… …   English World dictionary

  • steep — adj. VERBS ▪ be, look, seem ▪ become, get, grow ADVERB ▪ extremely, fairly …   Collocations dictionary

  • still adj — steep adj …   English expressions

  • steep — [[t]sti͟ːp[/t]] steeper, steepest, steeps, steeping, steeped 1) ADJ GRADED A steep slope rises at a very sharp angle and is difficult to go up. San Francisco is built on 40 hills and some are very steep. ...a narrow, steep sided valley. Derived… …   English dictionary

  • steep — 1. adj. & n. adj. 1 sloping sharply; almost perpendicular (a steep hill; steep stairs). 2 (of a rise or fall) rapid (a steep drop in share prices). 3 (predic.) colloq. a (of a demand, price, etc.) exorbitant; unreasonable (esp. a bit steep). b… …   Useful english dictionary

  • steep — steep1 S3 [sti:p] adj comparative steeper superlative steepest [: Old English; Origin: steap high, steep, deep ] 1.) a road, hill etc that is steep slopes at a high angle ▪ The road became rocky and steep. ▪ a steep climb to the top 2.) steep… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • steep*/ — [stiːp] adj I 1) a steep slope goes up or down very quickly a steep hill/path[/ex] Suddenly the plane went into a steep dive.[/ex] 2) a steep increase or fall in something is sudden and very big a steep rise in oil prices[/ex] 3) steep prices are …   Dictionary for writing and speaking English

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