A GENIUS? THINK AGAIN
I THOUGHT “genius” was a straightforward word, a person of super-high intelligence. However, my old friends Merriam and Webster offer more nuanced definitions and a particularly interesting etymology. For instance, … Continue reading
I AM EMBARRASSED
IN MY continuing series of Etymology for our Times, today I examine the word “embarrass.” Merriam-Webster defines its first meaning as “to cause to experience a state of self-conscious distress.” … Continue reading
A PAIR OF BLITTS, ONE WITH WINTER
BARRY BLITT is a wonderful political cartoonist whose work in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and other publications has earned him “adoration from critics and fans … Continue reading
HUZZAHS FOR PERLMAN, NASH, AND SAENT-SAËNS!
I’VE JUST heard the most marvelous Itzhak Perlman recording of Camille Saent-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, and it has instantly risen high on my Christmas/Hanukkah list, both as gift and … Continue reading
CHARLATAN TRUMP
THERE ARE those of us who would argue that “charlatan” is too kind a word to describe the likes of Donald J. Trump. However, the word has such interesting etymology, … Continue reading
CELEBRATING PROMETHEUS. OR BLAMING HIM?
IN GREEK mythology, it was Prometheus who defied Zeus by giving fire to humanity. Fire, that led to civilization’s hearths, metalworking, the Industrial Revolution, and our modern age. In fact, … Continue reading
ON BEING BAMBOOZLED
WHAT A funny word “bamboozle” is. At first glance, it reminds me of that rude noisemaker blown at World Cup matches. (No, that’s the vuvuzela. On the other hand, if … Continue reading
REDUCED SHAKESPEARE—WHAT A JOY!
THIS CHARMING book was actually a birthday present from Wife Dottie, and it has easily become a Christmas recommendation to anyone loving someone who reads, be that someone a spouse, … Continue reading
ON GRANGERIZING AND OTHER FUN WITH PRINTS
IMAGES SHARED before photography were typically prints of one sort or another. As its name suggests, a woodblock print has its image chiseled into the block. An intaglio print is … Continue reading
CELEBRATING THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PART 2
BY THE 1870s, the Associated Press had expanded considerably from five New York City daily papers protecting themselves against a potential telegraph monopoly on news. Today, we pick up the … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 