“Look,” I said, to cheer her up. “I’m thinking about shaving the moustache off.” Even though I wasn’t for a long time. Another discovery: You can build a way of life on postponement.

Question

“Your grandmother probably won’t even recognize you,” she said. And I saw the shadow fall across her face.

In 1-2 sentences, explain the meaning of postponement in the excerpt, and tell which words provide the clearest context clue for the word.

Answer 1

In the excerpt, "postponement" refers to delaying action or decisions, as the speaker contemplates shaving off the moustache but has no immediate plans to do so. The words "thinking about" and "not for a long time" provide clear context clues, indicating a lack of commitment to acting on the thought.