ETYMOLOGY—ELOQUENT, INARTICULATE
EVERY SO often, the meaning of a word surprises me. As an example, consider the word “eloquent.” It conjures up thoughts of classic Roman orations or the most memorable of … Continue reading
ETYMOLOGY—DESPICABLE
HOLDING INNOCENT children hostage in return for building a wall is despicable. And thus, the word “despicable” earns a place in the SimanaitisSays series Etymology for our Times. Merriam-Webster defines … Continue reading
BEREFT OF INSULTS?
THESE DAYS, one can easily run short of invectives. However, in the spirit of literary recycling, we can learn from a master of the English language, William Shakespeare. Here’s a … Continue reading
ETYMOLOGY: DEVIL, DIABOLICAL
DEVIL AND DIABOLICAL are perfect additions to the SimanaitisSays series of Etymology for our Times, what with the Trump administration’s Wall hostage program of children. The words’ origins trace to … Continue reading
DUPED, DUPLICITY
WELL I’LL BE duped! It turns out I’ve deceived myself for years by associating the word “dupe” with the word “duplicity.” However, in expanding my Etymology for our Times, I … Continue reading
ON TOY THEATRE, WESTMINSTER SCHOOLING, AND KEBLE COLLEGE
ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S autobiography Unmasked is an absolute delight. I’m only partway through, charmed by his stories, and already looking up stuff he mentions to learn more. In a way, … Continue reading
ARE YOU A HENRY? OR JUST A WANNABE?
I RECENTLY heard the demographic descriptor Henry, as in High Earner Not Rich Yet, and this got me thinking of more familiar terms, which in turn led me to some … Continue reading
WHERE’S TH@T @T?
ONCE A MERE substitute for “at the rate of,” as in “3 apples @ 25¢ each,” the symbol @ has thrived to travel the world on the Internet. It punctuates … Continue reading
THE CONFIDENCE-MAN, COMPLETE WITH HYPHEN PART 2
THERE WAS literary justice in the first appearance of Herman Melville’s The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade being on April Fool’s Day, 1857: This Melville novel recounts the happenings on that very … Continue reading
THE CONFIDENCE-MAN, COMPLETE WITH HYPHEN PART 1
WHAT FOLLOWS is a meta-review. That is, a review of reviews, in this case of The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade, one of only a few books coming to mind that have … Continue reading
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