City lights Quote by Terry Pratchett Pratchett
““And give me some coffee. Black as midnight on a moonless night." Harga looked surprised. That wasn't like Vimes. "How black's that, then?" he said. "Oh, pretty damn black, I should think." "Not necessarily." "What?" "You get more stars on a moonless night. Stands to reason. They show up more. It can be quite bright on a moonless night." Vimes sighed. "An overcast moonless night?" he said. Harga looked carefully at his coffee pot. "Cumulus or cirro-nimbus?" "I'm sorry? What did you say?" "You get city lights reflected off cumulus, because it's low lying, see. Mind you, you can get high-altitude scatter off the ice crystals in--" "A moonless night," said Vimes, in a hollow voice, "that is as black as coffee.””
About This Quote
Source Discworld Novel: “The Fifth Elephant” (1999)
Black coffee mirrors a moonless night; both are deep, reflective, and can be bright when light scatters.
In simple terms: Coffee is as black as night.
Notice subtle reflections.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- novel dialogue
- character banter
- literary metaphor
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does darkness enhance perception?
- What does coffee symbolize?