I found this use of summary to be interesting:

"Mr. McGuinty could have been seriously hurt, you know," she says, arranging my legs. She works quickly, efficiently, but stops short of being summary.

Does the author mean brisk, do you think? I've not seen the word used this way before.

I think this M-W definition applies:

quote:

summary adj
2 a : done without delay or formality: quickly executed <a summary dismissal>

Now, why and how was she arranging his legs?

I've heard this meaning in the phrase summary execution. I tkind of makes sense. A summary is a kind of overview (quick going over).

quote:

Now, why and how was she arranging his legs?

Ah...context! The guy was in his 90s, and the nurse was assisting him as he returned to bed.

Yes, z, I forgot about that use. In law there is the summary judgment

[By the way, in looking up summary judgment, I found the appeal by Jimmy Wales for money for Wikipedia. Do they not make any money from it since they don't have any ads?]

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,