Book Corner 2021.53

Nine Nasty Words

by John McWhorter

Linguist John McWhorter gives us the derivation and analysis of the usage over the years of nine nasty words. Dirty words, profane words, taboo words.

I love the exploration of how the suffix “-ass” is evolving into a mere adjective identifier. McWhorter shows this in chart form (his charts are funny): In 1830, a “big-ass man” would be a man with a big ass. Starting around 1930, a “big-ass man” would be a man who was surprisingly big. In 2300, it’ll just mean a big man. Apparently the pidgin that is the official language of Papua New Guinea treats “-fella”, which for them morphed into “-pela”, in the same way. A big guy is a “bigpela” guy, etc.

McWhorter is my age and I also like his usage of shows like THE JEFFERSONS to illustrate points.

And for the first time I’ve seen in print, someone comments on that extremely annoying “young female” accent that drives me up a wall, where short -e is pronounced like a short -a. I.e. instead of “My Mom is dead,” it comes out “My Mom is Dad” (I’m taking that example from a filthy old Daniel Tosh clip). Uuuuuuuugh, I hate this so much! As a linguist, though, McWhorter isn’t judgy about these things.

Buck & Beech

So here is something nice that was said yesterday at my farewell lunch – nicer than all the boilerplate ‘we’re gonna miss you blah blah blah.’ My boss told me that I had inspired him on a personal level, “with all your hobbies – your raising goats, your knitting, your weaving”. When I took a week off for weaving school, people seemed fascinated – not with the weaving, but the idea that you could take time off and, like, just do something you want to do, not involving traveling somewhere. Honestly, people must really have no lives whatsoever, if they think I’m something to look up to. But he said he’d always dreamed of doing something like going to a woodworking school in Vermont, and that I’m inspiring him. That’s cool.

One!

Some weeks ago I saw the most beautifully dyed little package of Wensleydale locks at the St. Alban’s farmer’s market. Dyed locks is what I got. Dyed locks is not something I need to buy. But both Xopher & I just couldn’t stop admiring that blue, so I bought the locks. There wasn’t enough to make a skein out of, so mixing was unfortunately necessary. I hope I did it justice. First handspun skein of the new season.

Looking for rusty reds to pair it with
Pretty against pretty
E’ finito

Book Corner 2021.52

Apropos of Nothing

by Woody Allen

Am I a bad person because when I saw Woody Allen had a memoir I immediately wanted to read it? Am I a bad person because I thought it was funny and I enjoyed reading it? Am I a bad person for finding his account of the whole molestation mishigoss is credible? No! I’m a bad person for other reasons, not these.

He’s funniest talking about his early life. Once his career takes off it seemed to get more matter-of-fact; once we are in his late career, the movie titles flying around and actors and actresses who were all wonderful, drop-dead sexy, beautiful, amazing, a joy to work with, etc. etc. and all the other famous people he’s met and known, well, it makes your head swirl a little.

So it wasn’t wall-to-wall comedy, but it was enough to be worthwhile and remind me why I’m a fan.

Incidentally, my favorite of his movies in order are:

  1. Annie Hall
  2. Manhattan
  3. Stardust Memories
  4. Love & Death

Yeah, really going out on a limb there, I realize.

And incidentally if you want to read something supportive of Mr. Allen, this statement by his adopted son Moses may be the best.

Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!

I wrote to the great Oliver Burkeman and the great Oliver Burkeman wrote me back!!!

I wrote this.

“

I feel like there is a contradiction underlying Four Thousand Weeks.  One thread is basically this:

  • Nobody cares what you do with your life
  • You can’t get anything ‘out’ of life – nothing fits through the exit door
  • Hope you don’t tune me out for quoting classic rock, but “All you touch & all you see, is all your life will ever be”

And OTOH, you are constantly repeating some variation of the following: all of this should feel liberating and exhilarating, because now you can finally be freed up to focus on what matters.

But isn’t the first thread trying to convince me that, actually, nothing “matters”?

I do find the first thread liberating and exhilarating.  But when you keep telling me, “Well! Now, time to get on with it!  You know, that thing that REALLY MATTERS?”  I’m like, what, what, what?  I’m supposed to have a mattering-thing?

“

He wrote,

“Thanks, Chris! Fascinating point.”

And he wrote more. But I don’t think it’s right to publicly publish his words without his permission. Except for that “Fascinating point” bit, no way I’m not mentioning that.

Basically he argues that the first thread is meant to clear away illusions so what matters for you can bubble up to the surface.

I Don’t Mind What Happens

Generally one weekend right around this time of year you will be bound to find us gourding.

Today’s Burkemanian quote is from ‘modern-day spiritual teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti’, who partway during a lecture leaned forward and said ‘almost conspiratorially, “Do you want to know what my secret is?… You see, I don’t mind what happens.”‘

What Me Worry

“Worry, at its core, is the repetitious experience of a mind attempting to generate a feeling of security about the future, failing, then trying again & again & again…” burkeman

“In every life we have some trouble, but when you worry you make it double; don’t worry, be happy.” earworm