Comments on Word-wise: Usage tip: bald-faced vs. boldfaced

@Pastor Ben: Once again, thanks for your comment! ...

2012-01-10T10:33:57.075-05:00

@Pastor Ben: Once again, thanks for your comment! You've neatly proven the point: bald-faced is a far more flexible adjective than it's generally treated.

More examples, readers?

Jake, the farrier was an incorruptibly scrupulous ...

2012-01-08T15:53:29.773-05:00

Jake, the farrier was an incorruptibly scrupulous man known throughout town for his bald-faced honesty and good humor.

@Pastor Ben: Wow, thanks for your thoughts! OK, f...

2011-12-27T12:34:38.689-05:00

@Pastor Ben: Wow, thanks for your thoughts!

OK, folks, Ben has proven that bald-faced can be used with other nouns.

Interesting that in all these cases, bald-faced has a negative connotation (just as it does with "lie"). I wonder...how about a positive context? "Bald-faced innocence" comes to mind, but the sentences I'm thinking of sound kind of contrived. Anyone?

Could bald-faced be used with regard to poverty or...

2011-12-21T12:05:14.969-05:00

Could bald-faced be used with regard to poverty or wealth? Or how about heresy, or sins?

1. As he entered the residence of the Baron, Paul realized he had never seen such a bald-faced display of money before in his life.

2. On the streets of Calcutta, Sara discovered the bald-faced nature of poverty -- women, men, and children, covered in filth and flies; too weak to even raise their eyes, much less their hands, in supplication.

3. Fernando slammed the pages down on the table. All the other Cardinals looks on in shock at what was written on them. Never had such bald-faced heresy been brought before the council before.

4. Karen and Dave strolled into the little Italian restaurant, even though they were both married, their affair was bald-faced and public.

5. Sven looked at the body lying at his feet, then at the pistol held firmly in his right hand. There were no two ways about it, this was a bald-faced murder.