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I have just downloaded Mark Forsyth’s book “The Elements of Eloquence” – How to turn the perfect English phrase.
It was with great fascination that I learned that there is an order when using more than one adjective in front of a noun. And here it goes:
opinion – size – age – shape – colour – origin – material – purpose – NOUN
Example:
a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife
and I tried to apply it to explaining our ‘koosh balls’ in that fashion:
wonderful, small new stringy colourful American rubbery juggling balls.
or:
fancy rectangular new soft red Jovi’s non-toxic modelling clay.
I tried to change the order and it just doesn’t sound right. So I believe everyone is instinctively following the correct order – I am quite fascinated.
Maybe try describing a thing or person yourself?