What is "whimsical"

Usage examples of "whimsical".

In 1903 in a suit charging that the registration procedure prescribed by statute was fraudulently designed to prevent Negroes from voting, the Court, in an opinion written by Justice Holmes, refused to order the registration of an allegedly qualified Negro, on the whimsical ground that to do so would make the Court a party to the fraudulent plan.

All these whimsical ideas were the products of her brain, which was only occupied with the impossible, and I thought the best thing I could do was to agree with everything.

Art of Diabetes Maintenance is meant as a whimsical, tongue-in-cheek title.

When I heard that answer I embraced him with an exclamation of delight, which was sarcastic in its intent, but which he took for admiration, and he at once unfolded all the treasures of his whimsical knowledge respecting his possessions, ending with the rusty blade which he said was the very knife with which Saint Peter cut off the ear of Malek.

Spanish climate made him conclude that the Spanish temperament was also ardent, and consequently whimsical in its tastes.

He took them both, dismissed the messenger, and opening that addressed to himself, read as follows, while he slowly retraced his steps towards the house:-- Dear Richard, I am a whimsical fellow, as you doubtless remember, and have lately grown, they tell me, rather hippish besides.

In those garrulous, vivacious, whimsical, and sometimes serious papers, Lien Chi Altangi, writing to Fum Hoam in Pekin, does not so much describe the aspects of European civilisation which would naturally surprise a Chinese, as he expresses the dissatisfaction of a European with certain phases of the civilisation visible everywhere around him.

A scarcity of houses, the hills crowding in, all smoothly sheeted rumps and shoulders and domes, her marijuana-stoked thoughts turned whimsical: they seemed to be scudding nervily through a dense stalled parade of white elephants.

The objets were still precious, but less pompous, mixed in with family photographs and more whimsical indulgences than were exhibited in the rest of the house.

She was creating a feeling, an impression, a connection to all the good things that the saguaro seemed to stand for: the warmth, sunshine, growth and growing, their royal heights and whimsical arms.

Four twenty-inch monitors, each glowing with whimsical screen savers, were spaced at even increments.

James showered a sack of whimsical breloques among a scrambling crowd of laughing beauties.

I grasped this fact:--The Moro has often a strong and whimsical sense of humour--the Filipino practically none at all.

Hard clam fans find a decided kick in the somewhat aggressive, masterful nature of the quahog, as opposed to the gentler, rather whimsical personality of the humble softie.

He was standing over Routh with a brandy flask in his hand, and looking down at him with an appearance of whimsical benevolence.