ETYMOLOGY: TO COZEN, A COZENER
GIVEN THAT we may be entering the second half, and perhaps the end game, of Trumpery, it is not inappropriate to discuss classical terms for the personality type, in particular, … Continue reading
PASS THE PASTICHES, PLEASE
THE YEAR 2019, according to Alexandra Alter in The New York Times, December 29, 2018, will be one of “New Life for Old Classics, as Their Copyrights Run Out.” She … Continue reading
GREMLIN TIDBITS PART 1
YESTERDAY AT SimanaitisSays, we talked about Roald Dahl and his dealings with Walt Disney, which culminated with the book The Gremlins. Today and tomorrow, in a continuation of this theme, … Continue reading
COMPLICITY AND COLLUSION—DUAL ETYMOLOGIES
MUCH IN the news these days, the words “complicity” and “collusion” warrant inclusion in my series of Etymology for our Times. It’s most appropriate to compare and contrast these two … Continue reading
SCHADENFREUDE—ETYMOLOGICAL AND ETHICAL VIEWS
“DEAR DR. WORDSMITH, current political goings-on have me experiencing Schadenfreude. Is this okay?” It depends, of course, on how concerned you are about the state of these United States. If, … Continue reading
FOUR ADJECTIVES IN SEARCH OF A TYPOGRAPHER
AS DESCRIBED IN yesterday’s adjectival tidbit, ironic, sardonic, sarcastic, and satirical commentaries are frequently encountered these days. Thus, shouldn’t we have typography to identify their presence? Sort of like “?” … Continue reading
IRONIC, SARDONIC, SARCASTIC, SATIRIC—ADJECTIVES FOR OUR TIMES
WE LIVE IN times that are ripe for ironic, sardonic, sarcastic, and satiric commentary. It’s fun to savor such wit, all the better when we observe the nuances among these … Continue reading
THE ATLAS OBSCURA EXPLORER’S GUIDE
THIS BOOK IS subtitled “For the World’s Most Adventurous Kid,” and it is a fine addition to my collection of guidebooks, Baedeker’s and all. “For ages 9 and up,” it … Continue reading
IS HE AN INSTIGATOR OR AN INCITER? AN ETYMOLOGICAL DISCUSSION
RECENT VIOLENCE in the U.S. and around the world raises the question of whether Donald Trump’s rabble-rousing rally pronouncements have a deleterious effect. Is he an instigator, an inciter, or … Continue reading
NEPOTISM—ITS ETYMOLOGY
YOU NEVER KNOW where researching the word “nepotism” will lead. Its practice has a rich heritage in Holy Mother the Church. It turns out that the word is directly related … Continue reading
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