Manic Buffed Goldenrod

Greek manikós, raving / mad — sharing root with mania. As a color modifier, manic implies a saturated-and-overstimulated-and-extreme quality, the bright color of Andy-Warhol-and-Pop-Art late-Pop-Art repeated-and-multiplied portrait color schemes. Sits at the bright-and-active end of the grid, parallel to hyper and frenetic in usage.

Old French buffer, to-puff. As a color modifier, buffed implies a polished-and-shined quality, the visual register of Sheffield-and-Renaissance-buffed-and-polished hand-buffed-and-polished metal-and-leather-and-wood Sheffield-and-Renaissance-buffed-and-polished surfaces under Sheffield-and-Renaissance hand-buffed-and-polished workshop-light. Sits at the modifier-and-texture end of the grid, parallel to honed and gloss in usage.

Solidago, the late-summer wildflower of North American meadows whose tall sprays of small yellow flowers signal the end of the growing season. The color refers to the flower head at full bloom: a warm, slightly muted yellow-orange with the matte finish of small clustered florets. Cooler than mustard, deeper than dandelion. The state flower of Kentucky and Nebraska, a pollinator magnet, and the original native dye for early American homespun.