I’m sure many of you would have seen this along Orchard Road. When I first walked past that place, I first saw “where luxury unfolds” before “where style unravels” and the latter sounded really odd to me. Does it strike you odd too?
To me “unravel” is usually used with unraveling a mystery, grand master plan or magic trick where there’s a sense of secrecy. As for unraveling style…. it sounds weird. I must admit sometimes when I come across words used funnily, I question myself so I did a quick dictionary check online and the Merriam Webster, dictionary.com and longman all have unravel as:
–verb (used with object)
1. to separate or disentangle the threads of (a woven or knitted fabric, a rope, etc.).
2. to free from complication or difficulty; make plain or clear; solve: to unravel a situation; to unravel a mystery.
3. Informal. to take apart; undo; destroy (a plan, agreement, or arrangement).
–verb (used without object)
4. to become unraveled.
And as for unfold:
–verb (used with object)
1. to bring out of a folded state; spread or open out: Unfold your arms.
2. to spread out or lay open to view.
3. to reveal or display.
4. to reveal or disclose in words, esp. by careful or systematic exposition; set forth; explain.
–verb (used without object)
5. to become unfolded; open.
6. to develop.
7. to become clear, apparent, or known: The protagonist's character unfolds as the story reaches its climax.
I guess that the people who came up with that caption were trying to find a synonym for ‘unfolds’ to make it sound more complete and catchy, but they don’t realize that no 2 words are complete synonyms. Though both unravel and unfold have a sense of revealing something, they cannot be used interchangeably. After this incident I’m starting to realize that the level of synonymity between two words are affected by their different individual collocations.
Edited 22nd March: After reading Heon's comments and walking past this place again during the weekend, I stopped to take another look and apparently what is being built is not a shopping centre but a hotel of some sorts. Park Royal Grand or Royal Grand Park (sorry, can't remember) so i guess 'where style unravels' is indeed weird.
Hey, well I was thinking perhaps the use of the verbs 'unravels' and 'unfolds', which typically are used in conjunction with lexis involving fabric, or basically material which is long. Hence, as the advertisements are meant for shops selling luxurious commodities including jewellery like chains, or clothing items including sashes and belts and such, the play on words like luxury and style to refer subtlely to the goods about to be released to the waiting consumers, could be a possible reason for the unfamiliar collocations noted. Also, as the organization probably wants to increase the enigma of the yet-to-be-opened shops, the use of unravel and unfold could also be used to accord the luxury items and stylish items some measure of mystery which will be uncovered when the stores finally open.
ReplyDeletehi heon,
ReplyDeletei definitely agree with you that "unravel" lends a sense of mystery to the clothes, bags etc. that they will be selling.
however, there seems to be more than one field of connotation here. think:
"we shall unravel the mysteries of time and space!"
vs.
"we shall unravel style before your very eyes!"
doesn't the latter sound really blah and weird?