An incomprehensible passage from Alice Munro
Dear linguaphiles,
I am working on translation of a book by Alice Munro and I have come across a sentence that I don't understand.
"The visitor who rose to be introduced was tall and thin and sallow, with a face that seemed to hang in pleats, precise and melancholy."
I don't understand how his face can be hanging in pleats (this, in itself, happens if there is a lot of extra skin) and be precise at the same time. Extra skin suggests a certain sloppiness or flabbiness, which, in my opinion, is incompatible with being precise. Either the word precise has some very specific meaning here, or I am missing something. Please help.
I am working on translation of a book by Alice Munro and I have come across a sentence that I don't understand.
"The visitor who rose to be introduced was tall and thin and sallow, with a face that seemed to hang in pleats, precise and melancholy."
I don't understand how his face can be hanging in pleats (this, in itself, happens if there is a lot of extra skin) and be precise at the same time. Extra skin suggests a certain sloppiness or flabbiness, which, in my opinion, is incompatible with being precise. Either the word precise has some very specific meaning here, or I am missing something. Please help.