slats

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masahiko - 01 Jan 2004 09:01 GMT

Is the word "slats" below the ones in Venetian blind? If not, what does
it mean "the blaze of light falling in slats"?

I woke up because I sensed a strange light coming into the trailer. It
was only the afternoon slant of the southern summer sun. It didn't look
like ordinary light. It looked as though if you touched it, it would
punch back. I felt trapped by the blaze of light falling in slats
through the windows of the camper.

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david56 - 01 Jan 2004 11:57 GMT

masahiko@r5.dion.ne.jp spake thus:

> Is the word "slats" below the ones in Venetian blind? If not, what does
> it mean "the blaze of light falling in slats"?
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> punch back. I felt trapped by the blaze of light falling in slats
> through the windows of the camper.

No, it's figurative - the light is falling inside the camper in
stripes, after passing through the slats of the blind. The author
has described the stripes of light as slats - this is not a standard
usage but it is quite evocative.

Signature

David
=====

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Gary Vellenzer - 01 Jan 2004 12:27 GMT

I think it must mean parallel bands of light like those produced when
the slats of a Venetian blind break up the light.

There is a kind of window made up of louvers (often composed of semi-
opaque glass) that can be positioned like Venetian blinds to open to any
desired degree. Possibly the camper had one of this type of window.

Here's the google image search for louver window:
http://tinyurl.com/ysm6n

Gary

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004

slats