> repellent efflorescence
I had to look up the definition of efflorescence.
This phrase is used very early in the Defector article (¶ 2) and I doubt if 1 in 100 readers will immediately glean its meaning.
I'm still not sure that I understand its meaning, in the context of the article. even after looking it up and having a glimmer of a hint of what might be intended.
repellent can mean repulsive, as in disgusting, or it can mean to repel, as with mosquitoes.
efflorescence refers to the white residue (salt) that accumulates on your baseball cap or in your armpit as you sweat, or on your basement walls after years of high humidity. Similar to naturally-adonized aluminum, it is crusty.
I'm a well-read elderly English speaker with a decent vocabulary. I adhere to a philosophy of live and learn; I am not surprised by gaps in my education; when I discover something new I am often intrigued and grateful. I adore good metaphors, similes, unexpected juxtapositions and creative usage.
Maybe the author just finished acid-washing his driveway so repellent efflorescence was on his mind. Or maybe an AI wrote that second paragraph.
