We tend to use the same adjectives to emphasize the same nouns. Here’s an example of a noun and a noun pair that drives me nuts: “smattering of applause.” You don’t ever hear someone say “a smattering of . . .” anything else. But a “smattering of teeth” or a “smattering of heartbeats” are both wildly evocative pairings that immediately form images in my mind.
