"it strikes me as the last word in quiet sophistication."
I have two questions here.
First, I do not understand the meaning of "quiet sophistication." I know that sophistication is a trait regarding being smart, articulate, sensible, and sensitive. But I do not know how this trait can be quiet. So, I do not understand the noun phrase "quiet sophistication" altogether.
Second, I do not understand what is the function of "in" in the "in quiet sophistication." As I said above, sophistication is a kind of trait. Then, I do not understand how "the last word" could be "in" the "quiet sophistication" and I do not know the meaning also. Help me
Best Answer
I think the trouble you're having here is with the idiom "the last word in," which means something along the lines of "the epitome of" or "the authority on." I would understand your phrase to mean that "it" embodies subtle sophistication in the opinion of the speaker. Hope that helps!