Word of the Day: abstruse [adj]
“ab-stroos” — emphasis on 2nd syllable
Not easy to understand; recondite; esoteric
[from Latin abstrūsus, thrust away, concealed: from abs- ab- away + trūdere, to thrust]
“The last time I stood at that bar my friend Edgar was trying to sell me Rudolf Steiner, rather unsuccessfully I must say, because just as he was getting on to group souls and the exact nature of the difference between a cow and a mineral, from the occult standpoint, a chorus girl from the theatre opposite, who was now on the bum, wedged her way in between us and diverted our minds to things less abstruse.”
– Henry Miller, The Colossus of Maroussi
Bonus Word of the Day: recondite [adj] “reh-kun-dite” — emphasis on 1st syllable
1. Requiring special knowledge to be understood; abstruse
2. Dealing with abstruse or profound subjects
3. Concealed; hidden
[Latin reconditus, past participle of recondere, to put away: re- + condere, to put together, preserve; conceal]
Word of the Day Triple Play
We have a Word of the Day trifecta today, courtesy of Henry Miller’s rapturous descriptions of Greece in The Colossus of Maroussi, an account of his time with his good friend Lawrence Durrell (another favourite author of mine) on the island of Corfu and throughout Greece.
Today’s words are diadem [n, tr. v], antinomianism [n], and carrefour [n]
diadem ["dye-uh-dem," emphasis on 1st syllable]
n. 1. A crown worn as a sign of royalty.
2. Royal power or dignity.
tr.v. di·a·demed, di·a·dem·ing, di·a·dems
To adorn with or as if with a diadem.
antinomianism ["an-tee-noh-mee-an-ism," emphasis on 3rd syllable]
n. 1. Theology The doctrine or belief that the Gospel frees Christians from required obedience to any law, whether scriptural, civil, or moral, and that salvation is attained solely through faith and the gift of divine grace.
2. The belief that moral laws are relative in meaning and application as opposed to fixed or universal.
carrefour ["ka-ri-four," equal emphasis on 1st and 3rd syllables]
n. 1. A crossroads.
2. A public square; a plaza.
And now … the quote:
“All Greece is diademed with such antinomian spots; it is perhaps the explanation for the fact that Greece has emancipated itself as a country, a nation, a people, in order to continue as the luminous carrefour of a changing humanity.” — Henry Miller, The Colossus of Maroussi (1941)
Word of the Day: maunder (intr. v)
Pronounced “morn-der,” emphasis on 1st syllable.
1. To talk incoherently or aimlessly.
2. To move or act aimlessly or vaguely; wander.
“The Public is an old woman. Let her maunder and mumble.”
– Thomas Carlyle (Scottish historian and essayist, leading figure in the Victorian era. 1795-1881), journal entry
Sanctioned theft
If you’re friends with a writer, does this sound familiar? Writers, do you pillage your friends’ experiences?
“In the early days of writing in Paris I would invent not only from my own experience but from the experiences and knowledge of my friends and all the people I had known and met since I could remember, who were not writers. I was very lucky always that my best friends were not writers and to have known many intelligent people who were articulate.” — Ernest Hemingway, “On Writing in the First Person” (from A Moveable Feast: The Restored Edition)
Two perspectives on revision
Point …
“I do not rewrite unless I am absolutely sure that I can express the material better if I do rewrite it.” — William Faulkner
And counterpoint …
“I’m a tremendous rewriter; I never think anything is good enough. I’m always rephrasing jokes, changing lines, and then I hate everything. The Girl Most Likely To was rewritten seven times, and the first time I saw it I literally went out and threw up! How’s that for liking yourself?” — Joan Rivers
What’s your perspective?
Writing Tip: Too many ideas?
Not sure how to corral or cut them?
Ask yourself: What is the purpose of this piece of writing?
Use the answer to guide your thoughts and the structure of your piece.
Word of the Day: arrogate [tr. v]
1 a. to claim or seize as one’s right (something one is not entitled to)
b. to make undue claims to the possession of; maintain without reason that one has
2. to lay claim to on behalf of another
3. to adopt (as a person sui juris and independent) in the form and under the special circumstances permitted under the Roman law
“This, my friend, must be my excuse for my tyranny; but, when the alliance between you and the Florentines can be sure, when Lucca is as peaceful and happy as Valperga, believe me, I will no longer arrogate a power to which I ought not to have a pretension.” — Mary Shelley, Valperga
First Lines
A new game! I give you the first line of a book, and you tell me the title and author. Here we go, round one …
“Punctually at six o’clock the sun set with a last yellow flash behind the Blue Mountains, a wave of violet shadow poured down Richmond Road, and the crickets and tree frogs in the fine gardens began to zing and tinkle.”
Exciting! Easy to understand grammar!
A while ago I was asked if I could recommend resources to help teach English grammar to adults learning English as a second language. Today a colleague on a professional email discussion list posted the link to Englishpage.com, which offers simple and clearly explained tutorials on all aspects of English grammar, including illustrations of confusing concepts.
Next time you come up against a grammatical puzzler (or even if you’re pretty sure, but not quite 100%) you know where to go for help!
