yarn (jɑːn) n
1. (Textiles) a continuous twisted strand of natural or synthetic fibres, used in weaving, knitting, etc
2. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) informal a long and often involved story or account, usually telling of incredible or fantastic events
3. spin a yarn informal
vb
(intr) to tell such a story or stories
I’m sitting in the sick bay at the surf life saving club. My nephew, Isaac, has a headache and a sore tummy, so I brought him here to rest in the cool and the shade. He has fallen asleep on a thin mattress in the corner and I’m sitting beside him in one of those […]
MoreWe’re in Martinborough at my cousin’s house, a beautiful old 1920s villa sitting on 15 acres of sunburnt Wairarapa whenua. It’s dry and dusty and the horizon shimmers with a fiery glow that makes a person think of mirages in the desert. And thirst. Parched throat, dry lips. In the distance the Ruakokoputuna ranges stand like […]
MoreWhen I was five I learnt to read. Each letter had a name and a sound. When you lined the letters up and ran the sounds together, just like magic, you could hear yourself reading. It was incredibly simple. So it came as a shock to me when my own son, at the age of […]
More
