Archive for August, 1999
The word I was trying to think of for the device of "claiming not to be saying something when you're saying it" is apophasis. Unfortunately sources disagree as to what precisely that is. The word can apparently be used as a synonym of praeteritio (the pretending-to-omit-information "I shall refrain from mentioning..." one); I think I […]
I am but a poor speaker; my words stumble from my tongue (or keyboard) like bleary-eyed tosspots after a night's carouse. But I'll do what I can with my poor skills to discuss rhetoric. "Doesn't everyone know what a rhetorical question is?" I hear you ask. But questions that don't require answers are not what […]
Dominus has been collecting material for some time now to be eventually turned into an online etymology quiz. The general idea behind the quiz is to give people an idea of which kinds of etymology are likely to be true and which aren't, rather than to trick people. To that end, although the quiz includes […]
Joe Robins points out that though "Sadie" is a proper noun and thus slightly imperfect, its anagram "aside" is perfectly valid and thus validly perfect. I've now added that to the list. I was amused to see that another anagram, ideas, was already on the list; clearly I didn't try anagramming most of the words […]
"I thought ... I might trick myself into ... more precise language and not go chasing across your pages, my dear Journal, like a wild-eyed Diana shooting in all directions in the hope of bringing down one perfect word." —Dorcas, in Sesyle Joslin's The Young Savages Before I can talk about this week's topic, I […]