liminal spaces

Noun

liminal space (plural liminal spaces)

1. (aesthetic) A depiction of an empty or abandoned place, often made to appear unsettling, surreal, or nostalgic.
   • In fact, the most uncanny contemporary liminal spaces combine the familiarity of, say, a New York City tourist magnet with an unnatural emptiness. Then again, a liminal space can be somewhere you could imagine dreaming about or seeing on TV. It can be tinged with tragedy or just inexplicably sad in...2022 November 1, Jake Pitre, “The Eerie Comfort of Liminal Spaces”, in Jeffrey Goldberg, editor, The Atlantic, Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original...
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see liminal, space.
   • Michael Kinnan's sendup of "Titanic" explores the liminal space between tribute and affectionate satire.2021 September 30, Elisabeth Vincentelli, “Review: In 'Never Let Go,' a Solo Performer's Heart Goes On”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from...