A quiet notice V2Melody closes at midnight on , Spanish time.

Closes

A note from Richard

V2Melody will close at midnight on 20 January 2028

This site has been a retirement project in musical poetry: poems chosen with care and set to music, offered freely for as long as it felt right to keep the garden open.

The work no longer holds the place it once did in my life. I have gone as far with it as I wish to go. Like a sand mandala, it was made to be completed and then released. I am not attached to its permanence, and I do not believe any of it needs to last beyond the time it was given.

I want a simpler life, without the hassle of being online. The work of maintaining a server, the monitoring, and the residual obligations that come with keeping a site alive no longer fit the life I want.

From 4 November 2026 I will not be adding new poems or musical poems to the site.

Until midnight on 20 January 2028, Spanish time, everything remains available exactly as it is. That is when my VPS server contract comes to an end, and it will not be renewed. After that, the server will be switched off and the site will disappear.

Thank you to anyone who found a poem, a track, or a quiet moment here.

The pleasure was in the making.

Richard

Home › Glossary › Letter A

As cool as a cucumber

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An idiomatic phrase describing someone who remains remarkably calm, composure intact, and unbothered even under intense pressure or chaos.

Detailed Definition
This alliterative simile, dating to the 18th century, uses the vegetable’s refreshing chill to symbolize emotional steadiness. In poetry, it often describes stoic heroes, serene lovers, or unflappable observers amid chaos. Poets deploy it to contrast internal calm with external turmoil, enhancing dramatic tension or underscoring philosophical detachment. Its sensory specificity and gentle humor make it effective in both serious and playful contexts, offering a memorable shorthand for resilience that avoids cliché through its unexpected yet apt botanical comparison.
Example
Example in poetry:
Jazz-age poem: “Amid the chaos, she stood as cool as a cucumber, saxophone in hand”; Crisis verse: “While sirens wailed, he remained as cool as a cucumber, dialing 911 with steady fingers”; Satirical take: “Politician as cool as a cucumber while lying through his teeth”; Love poem admires: “Your calm in the storm—so cool as a cucumber—anchors my wild seas.”
Additional Notes
First recorded in 1732, this alliterative simile uses cucumber’s cool interior to symbolize composure. In poetry, it’s ideal for depicting stoic characters amid chaos—war heroes, ER doctors, or calm lovers in crisis. Its botanical specificity avoids vagueness, while its mild humor softens intensity. Poets may contrast it with “hot-headed” imagery for dramatic effect. Students should note its suitability for understated heroism versus grand gestures. Related phrases include “keep your cool” and “unflappable.” In contemporary verse, it can critique emotional suppression if used ironically (“as cool as a cucumber, even when his heart screamed”).
Also Known As
Cool as a cucumber
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