quintessence

Can the “paragon of animals,” in Hamlet’s brooding formulation, really amount to nothing more than a “quintessence of dust”?

He was the quintessence of Regular Guy, a big friendly dog of a person, with some of the sadness that big, friendly dogs can carry.

Some theorists describe the force as a field or fluid pervading the whole universe and give it the name quintessence.

For 58 years--an eternity in this town--Chasen’s was the quintessence of Hollywood, as sublime as the expensive caviar that is on the menu and as low-brow as the world-famous chili that is not.

And her longevity feels like a quest in the direction of excellence, as well as a pursuit of her own quintessence.