I apologize in advance for this post. There is no way I could sum up succinctly the entirety of what I have learned from Infinite Jest. The following is a sampling and probably won't make a great deal of sense to someone who hasn't read IJ. Also, I apologize for any accidental spoilers. Item number 6 may be dangerous in that regard.
Today marks the end of Infinite Summer. It's officially fall, reading Infinite Jest together as a community is now officially over. I finished IJ in August, but I will definitely miss the insightful commentary of Infsum.
IJ truly is a masterpiece, not just an over-hyped novel. I heartily recommend it to other determined readers.
Now, not in any particular order, things I have learned from IJ include:
1. New words for Scrabble *
These include (from the top of my head) onanism, nictitate, post-prandial, agnate, lordosis (almost used this last night during a fierce game in which a dad-assisted eight year old sister took home 1st place), micturate, bradykinetic, brody
The only problems with using DFW words for Scrabble are your letter limitations and the likelihood that no one else with whom you're playing will know OED-rank-palabras offhand.**
*plus new slang (like "demap," "Unit," and "eating cheese") and euphemisms ("to hear the squeak")
**AND the official Scrabble Dictionary will have the same problem.
2. That I never want to take drugs.
This was the first novel I've ever read in which drug abuse (aside from alcohol, which is also rampant in IJ) is prominently featured. Wallace does not condone drug/alcohol abuse in any fashion; he addresses the issues (and addicts) in his novel from a standpoint that is as compassionate as it is realistic. Wallace not only describes the actions of addicts but also their mindsets; I found myself cringing throughout most of the novel during his powerful descriptions of the physical and mental "cage" created by Substance abuse (as well as the scenes of Withdrawal where addicts would just as painfully attempt to escape the "cage").
After experiencing these narratives, I know for me it would be redundant to actually try drugs (plus ignoring everything Wallace said). Alcohol, narcotics, cocaine, X, Bob Hope (marijuana)-- these and more and MORE are/were consumed by characters. DFW's endnotes often consisted of the full medical/chemical names of the drug compounds and their original pharmaceutical companies.
DFW's compassionate approach to his "encaged" characters (and that includes more than just the characters who were at Ennet House, a half-way house for addicts) was one of the most moving elements of the book to me. Wallace did not glamorize them; I daresay DFW didn't glamorize any character in this novel. It had been too long since I'd last connected strongly with characters in a novel. Somehow, somewhere in all those endless blocks of text Wallace made me love the people of Infinite Jest. In the back of my mind, I realized how strange it really was to be cheering on and caring for these nonexistent people as they battled against their bodies' respective Diseases.* It was also wonderful.
*Disease being one of the terms used for addiction by counselors at Ennet House.
3. That interfacing is always better.
I read this statement from one of the main characters of IJ and felt that heart-in-mouth truth sense start throbbing:
"...that the worst kind of gut-wrenching intergenerational interface is better than withdrawal or hiddenness of either side."
Wallace's protagonist Hal and his family, the Incandenzas, suffer from acute communicative dysfunction.* Only Mario, the most physically disabled of the Incandenzas, seems to possess health in this regard. If not a pathological liar, Orin is an unreliable source of information and a manipulator thereof; Hal closes himself off from everyone behind his intellect and tennis prowess; their overbearing mother Avril has something about her that gives everyone (including this reader) the howling fantods** and make true communication (which of course involves unpleasantries) impossible.
Wallace stresses the importance of relationships (interfacing) over entertainment, openness and honesty with others instead of being wrapped up (or "encaged" even) within the self. In his Kenyon Commencement Address of 2005***, Wallace also calls this being stuck in the "default setting" where you believe you are the absolute center of your universe and act accordingly.
I can Identify (as they would say in AA) with Hal's problems with openness with others and definitely valued this message in IJ. It was actually eerie at times to see parallels between myself and Hal. At the beginning of my sophomore year of college, I remember feeling proud of myself for "being open" with my three roommates--the previous year had been difficult in this regard and I felt I'd grown. To my surprise they approached me and said gently, something to the effect of "We want you to be open with us because we love you. You're still pretty closed off."
So when Hal experiences the unsettling feeling of the disjunction between his inner and outer self (being told to stop smiling so grotesquely when to his knowledge he wasn't smiling at all), I understood.
Like other contributors to Infinite Summer, I too want to try harder with interfacing and getting out of the cage, particularly with my family.
*To say that Infinite Jest is a book chiefly about entertainment and communication is very simplistic but also very true.
** Really awesome way to say heebie jeebies or "an ill-defined state of irritability and distress"
*** Which basically sums up the main moral thrust of IJ in a way that gives me chills.
4. "Do not underestimate objects." -Lyle, the sweat guru
I found myself chanting this phrase while negotiating the semi-terrifying inclines in the local park on my (new) rollerblades. Actually, I'm not sure if this phrase is directly applicable to blading or if I even understand what Lyle means.
Thinking abotu this along with what other characters (Coach Schtitt) have said in the novel, I think this means that you need to know your own limits and fears and act accordingly.
Related: "Don't try to pull a weight that weighs more than you do."
The fact that Lyle (a man who meditates on top of the towel dispenser in the weight room at Enfield Tennis Academy and survives off of students' sweat) is one of the major spiritual counselors at ETA is one of IJ's wonderful quirks that make it so GOOD.
5. AA and the Gospel
I've read Christian literature before that's compared the openness/brokenness that's present in AA meetings to how the Gospel should free us to be open with our fellow Christians about our sins and shortcomings. DFW's AA completely validated that comparison. I didn't know that much about AA before IJ, or rather I knew its raison d'etre but not many specifics. On the copyright page of the novel, DFW thanks the AA groups that allowed him to come in and ask questions: "Besides Closed Meetings for alcoholics only, Alcoholics Anonymous in Boston, Massachusetts, also has Open Meetings, where pretty much anybody who's interested can come and listen, take notes, pester people with questions, etc. A lot of people at these Open Meetings spoke with me and were extremely patient and garrulous and generous and helpful. The best way I can think of to show my appreciation to these men and women is to decline to thank them by name."
DFW does a LOT with AA, NA (Narcotics Anonymous) in Infinite Jest; as heart-rending and horrifying as some of the stories the AAnons told (being abused as children, how they hit Bottom, the way they'd hurt those around them, etc ) these were among my favorite parts of the book. The openness and Identification of their fellow AAers and the cliches "Keep Coming Back" "Hang in There" "Fake It Til You Make It" "But for the Grace of God" and the invocation of a Higher Power to help them through...were immensely encouraging to me. It's funny how Don would be thinking about how it didn't make sense why AA worked when it was mostly platitudes and Meetings. Sometimes it feels that way to me in the Christian life, that I don't understand exactly how I am justified and sinful at the same time, but it WORKS. The baking-a-cake metaphor comes to mind--you don't have to understand the chemistry of how a cake comes into being in the oven, you just have to follow the instructions and it works.
6. You don't always get all the answers.
You gotta learn to live with this or you go crazy. In some ways, IJ felt like real life: just like reality there's more than one explanation for something and you don't always get to know what the real answer is. In this novel, DFW doesn't give all the answers. It was tempting to be infuriated, to feel like reading this book was a waste, that I didn't even know what happened to Hal and to Don and to Pemulis and to the freaking AFR and the Entertainment. I think DFW's just reminding us that some degree of mystery is the reality of things. Plus there's all these theories about tides and annulation and how the novel is constructed that I won't go into here.
And why the hell Stice's bed would end up on different sides of the room when he woke up in the morning. A mystery among mysteries...but one worth mulling over.
Other bloggers (conveniently linked to InfSum) have speculated that DFW's lack of answers have to do with the theme of entertainment that overmasters its partakers. By not supplying all the facts and intentionally having a non-linear, fragmented narrative (with ambiguities! e.g. re: Mario's parentage), Wallace forces the reader to wrestle with this book. There is no passive way to read IJ and enjoy it for all its worth.
One of the first posts on InfSum suggested that when reading IJ, one must swim deep or stay at the surface. Even though I opted for the snorkel-view of IJ, I felt myself being stretched as a reader-- my sense of syntax, my optical attention (blocks and blocks of text= not particularly eye-friendly), my suspension of disbelief (stretched beyond all recognition), my memory for holding details that would string seemingly disparate characters together not to mention abbreviations, etc etc etc. This book made me want to discuss it with others, hear theories, laugh about horrifically funny bits; it made me want to talk to others who were also "wrestling." In this way, DFW's warning in IJ about entertaining ourselves to death by being so self-absorbed we're emotionally dead (or literally with The Entertainment) also came with a solution--this prompting to discuss.
7. In IJ, Don Gately and Mario are my heroes.
Yes. Yes they are.
Don is my hero for the "realness" that comes through in his character--he's working so hard on turning his life around. He does all the things AA says to do: repeating cliches that don't really make all that much sense until you just accept them for what they are (Fake It 'Til You Make It), every morning his huge knees hit the floor and he Asks for Help from his personal Higher Power. Don's also a counselor at Ennet House trying to help others beat their addictions; I love his conversations he has with the residents.
How can you not love Mario? There were so many notes in my journal where I simply wrote a page number and "Yay Mario!" He is wise, loving, and self-forgetful as he is deformed. I think DFW has to remind the reader throughout of Mario's physical challenges because his heart is so pure and emotionally he's got it together the best of any of the characters. Towards the beginning of the novel, DFW writes that the ETA kids consider Mario the kind of person you just like to have around. I love that he has a passion for filmmaking (and was close to J. O. Incandenza, patriarch and deceased as of the beginning of the novel) and that he's also a spiritual guide to the students of ETA. Mario embodies the person whose life is lived without the default setting--he's quite inspiring (I think I was almost reduced to tears during the Barry Loach episode near the end of the novel).
8. I want to have an awesome radio show like Madame Psychosis.
Simply having a DJ name that neat and not feeling pretentious about it would feel like a good start. Though I am extremely tempted to read aloud from the pamphlet of the Union for the Hideously and Improbably Deformed with strange, ambient music playing underneath, I'll have to figure out my own way of communicating what I deem is important and noteworthy to my listeners.
This of course presumes that I will have listeners. Ha.
9. I know next to nothing about tennis.
Even after reading a book largely about a tennis academy, I still don't really understand it. Except that Schtitt's conditioning programs for the ETA'ers were as tough as his views on the abstracts of tennis were fascinating. Now, however, whenever I walk past tennis courts I can hear that tennis balls being hit do really make a sound like "thwok."
DFW was a tennis player (not medicore, either) and I've heard his renderings of on-court events in the novel are absolutely excellent.
10. "The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." - DFW
As a Christian, I believe that God is the source of all truth and He places an awareness of truth in the hearts of human beings (see Romans 1 for more on that), even in those whose hearts are not regenerated. When instances of truth occur in the works of people who do not claim Christ, these can be called Common Grace Insights (or at least my Christian college calls them by that: "All truth is God's truth, wherever it is found.")
IJ contains an astonishing amount of CGIs (haha), actually. A couple years ago (oh narrowminded high schooler that I was) I would have worried about how much this book affected me while I was reading it: "Oh no, a non-Christian's work is impacting me... I must not be contaminated!" But really, if DFW's work is pointing me back to the Biblical truths I hold dear (such as "dying to the old sinful self" = getting out of the "default setting"), there's nothing wrong with treasuring this book. Because I have a feeling I'll be treasuring it for a long time. Other bloggers who are long-time fans of IJ have written about how it stays on their bedside table almost like a Bible and they have read it over and over. It's taking everything in me not to immediately start it again but unfortunately I don't have the time I'd want to devote to the novel right now with a new semester upon me.
But I will return to it. I know I will.
I feel like I drop DFW's name into any conversation I can (particulary with friends who have read him before). I admire his compassion, his excellent writing, his vocabulary, and the way he challenges his readers' abilities and normal habits of living (i.e. being encaged to self or addictions). His work makes me want to be a better writer and a better person (and I know I'm not alone in this feeling or else I might feel a little strange).
Thanks again, DFW, and thank you for reading.
Showing posts with label Infinite Jest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Infinite Jest. Show all posts
Monday, September 21, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
DFW. Rest in peace.
“It’s weird to feel like you miss someone you’re not even sure you know” -- Mario Incandenza.
I'm fighting tears as I post this.
A couple of days ago I cried in my boyfriend's car after he'd driven me back from studying at his apartment. He's reading IJ too and so he understood.
He understood that it doesn't make sense to me to miss this author whom I've never met---I've only read one book of his (albeit the "masterpiece"), I feel almost like a fraud for having this sadness in the face of his friends, family, colleagues, and really devoted readers who have so much more cause for sadness than I do.
I still haven't posted the "what I've learned from IJ" piece that I (had been) working on. School interfered and I've been feeling my "infinite summer" moving away from me in that gradual way that waves slowly pull objects out to sea. You see it, you see it, you see it, and suddenly the bobbing object's become a bobbing speck out of sight.
That's what I don't want. I don't want those lessons to drift out of my consciousness.
I remember grieving over the Virginia Tech shootings 2 years ago, again feeling like it was not my place to grieve. My high school had lost an alumna, but I didn't know her. I'd transferred in as a senior that year and had no real emotional root to West Springfield.
Yet it hurt.
I'd written a poem and posted it on the memorial website---it's a magnetic poem.
Here it is:
I think those feelings still resonate with me w/r/t DFW.
Dave, thank you for your writing, your humor, the way you've made me consider my world differently. Thank you for your reminder that "this is water" and for your challenge to a graduating class to live a compassionate life that's extended to an audience far beyond that auditorium. Thank you for sharing your love of words, your struggles, and your kindness. Thank you for helping me forget how alone I really was this summer after the move; thank you for Infinite Jest and the real, beautiful, terrifying, eye-opening joy it was to read--the fact that James O. Incandenza's initals are JOI has never ceased to make me suspicious. Thank you for saturating that book with truth, for making it challenging, for making me think hard, for making me struggle with it. I don't know yet how exactly it will have changed me, but I know it has.
The Spanish medieval poets believed that there were three lives: the mortal, physical existence; the spiritual life of glory or fame; and the life eternal which occurred after death.
That second life of honor is not cut off at death; it last as long as the person is held in the memories of those left behind. One's glory can still burn brightly years and years after they themselves have withered away.
This is only the first anniversary, but I think DFW's second life is in no danger of flickering out.
No indeed.
I'm fighting tears as I post this.
A couple of days ago I cried in my boyfriend's car after he'd driven me back from studying at his apartment. He's reading IJ too and so he understood.
He understood that it doesn't make sense to me to miss this author whom I've never met---I've only read one book of his (albeit the "masterpiece"), I feel almost like a fraud for having this sadness in the face of his friends, family, colleagues, and really devoted readers who have so much more cause for sadness than I do.
I still haven't posted the "what I've learned from IJ" piece that I (had been) working on. School interfered and I've been feeling my "infinite summer" moving away from me in that gradual way that waves slowly pull objects out to sea. You see it, you see it, you see it, and suddenly the bobbing object's become a bobbing speck out of sight.
That's what I don't want. I don't want those lessons to drift out of my consciousness.
I remember grieving over the Virginia Tech shootings 2 years ago, again feeling like it was not my place to grieve. My high school had lost an alumna, but I didn't know her. I'd transferred in as a senior that year and had no real emotional root to West Springfield.
Yet it hurt.
I'd written a poem and posted it on the memorial website---it's a magnetic poem.
Here it is:
I think those feelings still resonate with me w/r/t DFW.
Dave, thank you for your writing, your humor, the way you've made me consider my world differently. Thank you for your reminder that "this is water" and for your challenge to a graduating class to live a compassionate life that's extended to an audience far beyond that auditorium. Thank you for sharing your love of words, your struggles, and your kindness. Thank you for helping me forget how alone I really was this summer after the move; thank you for Infinite Jest and the real, beautiful, terrifying, eye-opening joy it was to read--the fact that James O. Incandenza's initals are JOI has never ceased to make me suspicious. Thank you for saturating that book with truth, for making it challenging, for making me think hard, for making me struggle with it. I don't know yet how exactly it will have changed me, but I know it has.
The Spanish medieval poets believed that there were three lives: the mortal, physical existence; the spiritual life of glory or fame; and the life eternal which occurred after death.
That second life of honor is not cut off at death; it last as long as the person is held in the memories of those left behind. One's glory can still burn brightly years and years after they themselves have withered away.
This is only the first anniversary, but I think DFW's second life is in no danger of flickering out.
No indeed.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Wallace-isms
Today in 20th Century History my prof said (in a transition):
"Anyway but so"
which is HIGHLY reminiscent of the "And but so's" from IJ.
It made me smile. At one point in the novel I was wondering if anyone really talks like that, and now I have additional Real Life verification.
Eventually I will publish my (currently unfinished) post about what I learned from my first reading of IJ, but other obligations (ie hundreds of pages of academic texts) have arisen.
Just to let you know I haven't forgotten.
"Anyway but so"
which is HIGHLY reminiscent of the "And but so's" from IJ.
It made me smile. At one point in the novel I was wondering if anyone really talks like that, and now I have additional Real Life verification.
Eventually I will publish my (currently unfinished) post about what I learned from my first reading of IJ, but other obligations (ie hundreds of pages of academic texts) have arisen.
Just to let you know I haven't forgotten.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
VD12- Final
900 sometime yesterday, FINISHED today sometime before 4 pm.
I've heard it's not unusual to be reeling, staggering after you finish. I flipped the book to the beginning and re-read the "Year of Glad" sections...there's something sinister/mysterious going on. Man. It's so weird to go back to the beginning with "all I know now."
Anyway. Vocab...which feels almost pointless to do now that it's all over.
My infinite summer ended a week before my actual summer.
blesser: Fr. to hurt, offend (www.french.about.com)
topology: Topology (Greek Τοπολογία, from τόπος, “place”, and λόγος, “study”) is a major area of mathematics that has emerged through the development of concepts from geometry and set theory, such as those of space, dimension, shape, transformation and others. (wiki)
phocomelic: the congenital absence or abnormal shortening of arms or legs, often with only short, flipperlike limbs projecting from the body (yourdictionary.com)
achondroplastic: achondroplasia - an inherited skeletal disorder beginning before birth; cartilage is converted to bone resulting in dwarfism (Princeton Word Net)
Zog: i.e., ZOG, for Zionist Occupation Government, the acronym coined by American neo-Nazi Eric Thomson (wallacewiki)
The Turner Diaries: Written by William Luther Pierce III (1933-2002), this is a neo-Nazi novel once called the "blueprint" for the Oklahoma City bombing. (wallacewiki)
sinsemilla: cultivated high potency marijuana (wallacewiki)
strabysmic: strabismus - abnormal alignment of one or both eyes (PWN)
prophylaxis: the prevention of disease (PWN)
hemoptypsis: coughing up blood from the respiratory tract; usually indicates a severe infection of the bronchi or lungs (PWN)
pertussive: pertussis- whooping cough: a disease of the respiratory mucous membrane (PWN)
ghost word: A ghost word is a word that has been published in a dictionary, or has been adopted as genuine, as the result of misinterpretation or a typographical error. (wiki)
shillelagh: a cudgel made of hardwood (usually oak or blackthorn) (PWN)
fillip: A flick; the act of releasing the index finger from the hold of a thumb with a snap; Something that excites or stimulates (wiki)
ICBM: intercontinental ballistic missile: a ballistic missile that is capable of traveling from one continent to another (PWN)
imprimatur: An official license to publish or print something, especially when censorship applies; Any mark of official approval (wiki_=)
catadioptric: A catadioptric optical system is one where lenses and curved mirrors are used to form the Image-forming optical system. Catadioptric systems are commonly used in telescopes and in lightweight, long focal length lenses for cameras, where the term mirror lens is often used for them. (wiki)
sinciput: the front part of the head or skull (including the forehead) (PWN)
étagère: a piece of furniture with open shelves for displaying small ornaments (PWN)
delfts: a style of glazed earthenware; usually white with blue decoration (PWN)
kyphotic: crookback/hunchback- characteristic of or suffering from kyphosis, an abnormality of the vertebral column (PWN)
gerontologic: gerontology- the comprehensive study of aging and the problems of the aged (www.merriam-webster.com)
koans: koan - a paradoxical anecdote or a riddle that has no solution; used in Zen Buddhism to show the inadequacy of logical reasoning (PWN)
antigens: any substance (as a toxin or enzyme) that stimulates an immune response in the body (especially the production of antibodies) (PWN)
piaffer: A dressage movement in which a horse trots in a stationary position while using high lifting of the legs (wiki)
Fourier Transforms: In mathematics, the Fourier transform (often abbreviated FT) is an operation that transforms one complex-valued function of a real variable into another. In such applications as signal processing, the domain of the original function is typically time and is accordingly called the time domain. That of the new function is frequency, and so the Fourier transform is often called the frequency domain representation of the original function. It describes which frequencies are present in the original function. (wiki)
mufti: civilian dress worn by a person who is entitled to wear a military uniform (PWN)
and finally
fuliginous: Pertaining to soot; sooty; dusky, gloomy (wiki)
I've heard it's not unusual to be reeling, staggering after you finish. I flipped the book to the beginning and re-read the "Year of Glad" sections...there's something sinister/mysterious going on. Man. It's so weird to go back to the beginning with "all I know now."
Anyway. Vocab...which feels almost pointless to do now that it's all over.
My infinite summer ended a week before my actual summer.
blesser: Fr. to hurt, offend (www.french.about.com)
topology: Topology (Greek Τοπολογία, from τόπος, “place”, and λόγος, “study”) is a major area of mathematics that has emerged through the development of concepts from geometry and set theory, such as those of space, dimension, shape, transformation and others. (wiki)
phocomelic: the congenital absence or abnormal shortening of arms or legs, often with only short, flipperlike limbs projecting from the body (yourdictionary.com)
achondroplastic: achondroplasia - an inherited skeletal disorder beginning before birth; cartilage is converted to bone resulting in dwarfism (Princeton Word Net)
Zog: i.e., ZOG, for Zionist Occupation Government, the acronym coined by American neo-Nazi Eric Thomson (wallacewiki)
The Turner Diaries: Written by William Luther Pierce III (1933-2002), this is a neo-Nazi novel once called the "blueprint" for the Oklahoma City bombing. (wallacewiki)
sinsemilla: cultivated high potency marijuana (wallacewiki)
strabysmic: strabismus - abnormal alignment of one or both eyes (PWN)
prophylaxis: the prevention of disease (PWN)
hemoptypsis: coughing up blood from the respiratory tract; usually indicates a severe infection of the bronchi or lungs (PWN)
pertussive: pertussis- whooping cough: a disease of the respiratory mucous membrane (PWN)
ghost word: A ghost word is a word that has been published in a dictionary, or has been adopted as genuine, as the result of misinterpretation or a typographical error. (wiki)
shillelagh: a cudgel made of hardwood (usually oak or blackthorn) (PWN)
fillip: A flick; the act of releasing the index finger from the hold of a thumb with a snap; Something that excites or stimulates (wiki)
ICBM: intercontinental ballistic missile: a ballistic missile that is capable of traveling from one continent to another (PWN)
imprimatur: An official license to publish or print something, especially when censorship applies; Any mark of official approval (wiki_=)
catadioptric: A catadioptric optical system is one where lenses and curved mirrors are used to form the Image-forming optical system. Catadioptric systems are commonly used in telescopes and in lightweight, long focal length lenses for cameras, where the term mirror lens is often used for them. (wiki)
sinciput: the front part of the head or skull (including the forehead) (PWN)
étagère: a piece of furniture with open shelves for displaying small ornaments (PWN)
delfts: a style of glazed earthenware; usually white with blue decoration (PWN)
kyphotic: crookback/hunchback- characteristic of or suffering from kyphosis, an abnormality of the vertebral column (PWN)
gerontologic: gerontology- the comprehensive study of aging and the problems of the aged (www.merriam-webster.com)
koans: koan - a paradoxical anecdote or a riddle that has no solution; used in Zen Buddhism to show the inadequacy of logical reasoning (PWN)
antigens: any substance (as a toxin or enzyme) that stimulates an immune response in the body (especially the production of antibodies) (PWN)
piaffer: A dressage movement in which a horse trots in a stationary position while using high lifting of the legs (wiki)
Fourier Transforms: In mathematics, the Fourier transform (often abbreviated FT) is an operation that transforms one complex-valued function of a real variable into another. In such applications as signal processing, the domain of the original function is typically time and is accordingly called the time domain. That of the new function is frequency, and so the Fourier transform is often called the frequency domain representation of the original function. It describes which frequencies are present in the original function. (wiki)
mufti: civilian dress worn by a person who is entitled to wear a military uniform (PWN)
and finally
fuliginous: Pertaining to soot; sooty; dusky, gloomy (wiki)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
VD11
Passed the 100-pages-left (!!!) mark about 6 pages ago. Feeling almost scared to go on; feeling unnerved by Hal's narration and experiencing the disconnect between himself and others.
And was struck with the thought that maybe the novel is annular as well...that as soon as you finish you begin again in a sort of ellipse.
I'll be curious to see if that is true.
quoins:
sudoriferous: sweaty or sweating, bearing sweat (wiki)
civety: Civets are small, lithe-bodied, mostly arboreal mammals native to the tropics of Africa and Asia. Civet may also refer to the distinctive musk produced by the animal. (wiki)
cytological: cytology - the branch of biology that studies the structure and function of cells (PWN)
brody: Intentionally spinning in circles and sliding in an automobile (wiki)
senescence:
strigil: a grooming tool used to scrape away dead skin, oil, dirt, etc (wiki)
hulpil: A huipil (from the Nahuatl uipilli, meaning "blouse"`- "dress") is a form of Maya textile and tunic or blouse worn by indigenous Mayan, Zapotec, and other women in central to southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and western Honduras, in the northern part of Central America. (wiki)
amphetaminic: relating to amphetamine- a central nervous system stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetite; used to treat narcolepsy and some forms of depression (PWN)
intubated: intubation- The introduction of a tube into an organ to keep it open, as into the larynx in croup (wiki)
huarache: sandal, pictured below
pleurisy: inflamed membranes around the lungs. (thank you children's center.org)
dextral: Of or pertaining to the right side (wiki)
Liebestod: An aria or duet performed in opera marking the suicide of lovers; a suicide (wiki)
or Liebestod (German, "Love's Death") is the title of a song from the opera Tristan und Isolde by Richard Wagner. It is the final, dramatic song of the opera, as Isolde mourns over the body of Tristan. It opens with the famous lines "Mild und leise" ("fair and gentle"). (wiki also)
guilloche: an architectural decoration formed by two intersecting wavy bands (PWN)
internecine: Mutually destructive; most often applied to warfare; Characterized by struggle within a group, usually applied to an ethnic or familial relationship (wiki)
cachinated: cachinnation-- loud convulsive laughter (PWN)
bupkus: bupkis, Yiddish-- absolutely nothing; nothing of value, significance, or substance (wiki)
terrazzo: Terrazzo is a faux-marble flooring or countertopping material (wiki)
ommatophoric: having eyes at the ends of stalks (wallacewiki)
synovial inflammation: inflammation of or pertaining to the fluid that lubricates the joints (wallacewiki)
somnolent: drowsy (wallacewiki)
Banfis: a sort of fancy shoe company. Google image "Banfis shoes" for an idea.
And was struck with the thought that maybe the novel is annular as well...that as soon as you finish you begin again in a sort of ellipse.
I'll be curious to see if that is true.
quoins:
- quoin - expandable metal or wooden wedge used by printers to lock up a form within a chase
- quoin - the keystone of an arch
- quoin - corner: (architecture) solid exterior angle of a building; especially one formed by a cornerstone (Princeton Word Net)
sudoriferous: sweaty or sweating, bearing sweat (wiki)
civety: Civets are small, lithe-bodied, mostly arboreal mammals native to the tropics of Africa and Asia. Civet may also refer to the distinctive musk produced by the animal. (wiki)
cytological: cytology - the branch of biology that studies the structure and function of cells (PWN)
brody: Intentionally spinning in circles and sliding in an automobile (wiki)
senescence:
- aging: the organic process of growing older and showing the effects of increasing age
- agedness: the property characteristic of old age (PWN)
strigil: a grooming tool used to scrape away dead skin, oil, dirt, etc (wiki)
hulpil: A huipil (from the Nahuatl uipilli, meaning "blouse"`- "dress") is a form of Maya textile and tunic or blouse worn by indigenous Mayan, Zapotec, and other women in central to southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and western Honduras, in the northern part of Central America. (wiki)
amphetaminic: relating to amphetamine- a central nervous system stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetite; used to treat narcolepsy and some forms of depression (PWN)
intubated: intubation- The introduction of a tube into an organ to keep it open, as into the larynx in croup (wiki)
huarache: sandal, pictured below
pleurisy: inflamed membranes around the lungs. (thank you children's center.org)
dextral: Of or pertaining to the right side (wiki)
Liebestod: An aria or duet performed in opera marking the suicide of lovers; a suicide (wiki)
or Liebestod (German, "Love's Death") is the title of a song from the opera Tristan und Isolde by Richard Wagner. It is the final, dramatic song of the opera, as Isolde mourns over the body of Tristan. It opens with the famous lines "Mild und leise" ("fair and gentle"). (wiki also)
guilloche: an architectural decoration formed by two intersecting wavy bands (PWN)
internecine: Mutually destructive; most often applied to warfare; Characterized by struggle within a group, usually applied to an ethnic or familial relationship (wiki)
cachinated: cachinnation-- loud convulsive laughter (PWN)
bupkus: bupkis, Yiddish-- absolutely nothing; nothing of value, significance, or substance (wiki)
terrazzo: Terrazzo is a faux-marble flooring or countertopping material (wiki)
ommatophoric: having eyes at the ends of stalks (wallacewiki)
synovial inflammation: inflammation of or pertaining to the fluid that lubricates the joints (wallacewiki)
somnolent: drowsy (wallacewiki)
Banfis: a sort of fancy shoe company. Google image "Banfis shoes" for an idea.
I am in love
with Infinite Summer.
I was browsing the forums and found there is a t-shirt in the works for the Infsumerians. (make sure to press the SPOILER! tag in matthewbalwin's post to see the proposed designs).
The second design has gotten the most "I'd totally buy that" votes. Awesome.
Reading IJ has allowed me to completely embrace my inner literature-fiend but reading it in conjunction with InfSum lets me do so with the license of hundreds, say thousands of other bibliophiles simultaneously embracing inner fiendish literature senses.
Community is such a good thing.
I was browsing the forums and found there is a t-shirt in the works for the Infsumerians. (make sure to press the SPOILER! tag in matthewbalwin's post to see the proposed designs).
The second design has gotten the most "I'd totally buy that" votes. Awesome.
Reading IJ has allowed me to completely embrace my inner literature-fiend but reading it in conjunction with InfSum lets me do so with the license of hundreds, say thousands of other bibliophiles simultaneously embracing inner fiendish literature senses.
Community is such a good thing.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Closing in.
800.
Just freaking broke 800 pages.
I feel like this book is an avalanche that got triggered sometime in the 600's and I can't stop it or else I'll wonder forever what happened.
Even Neil Gaiman (Mr. Gaiman!) can't distract me.
Neverwhere has no hold on me in comparison to IJ; I've fallen through the cracks of this pseudo-Boston world and now I'm following Gately, I'm following Hal, I'm following Pemulis and Erdedy and Kate Gompert and yes even Orin and of course Mario and Joelle and the memories of J.O. Incandenza that come up but me, I'm the ghost, I'm just the reader.
On the 4th of August, I was in the 580's and hit 600 later that day.
On the 8th, I was just passing 700.
Today, the 12th, I hit 800.
That's an average of 100 pages every four days.
When InfSum just wants you do get 75 pages a week. Good gravy, I'm going to hit 900 by the 16th (Sunday) if this keeps up and finish before the 20th.
Meaning I finish before school, shy 5 days.
Score.
Just freaking broke 800 pages.
I feel like this book is an avalanche that got triggered sometime in the 600's and I can't stop it or else I'll wonder forever what happened.
Even Neil Gaiman (Mr. Gaiman!) can't distract me.
Neverwhere has no hold on me in comparison to IJ; I've fallen through the cracks of this pseudo-Boston world and now I'm following Gately, I'm following Hal, I'm following Pemulis and Erdedy and Kate Gompert and yes even Orin and of course Mario and Joelle and the memories of J.O. Incandenza that come up but me, I'm the ghost, I'm just the reader.
On the 4th of August, I was in the 580's and hit 600 later that day.
On the 8th, I was just passing 700.
Today, the 12th, I hit 800.
That's an average of 100 pages every four days.
When InfSum just wants you do get 75 pages a week. Good gravy, I'm going to hit 900 by the 16th (Sunday) if this keeps up and finish before the 20th.
Meaning I finish before school, shy 5 days.
Score.
VD10(!)
When you read until you can't read no more, it's time for a more soothing, mechanical activity.
Like defining.
veronica: a bullfighting maneuver where the matador swings his cape away from the charging bull (wallacewiki)
sartorially: Relating to good clothing or skilled tailoring (wiki)
coffre d'amas: Fr. waste basket (wallacewiki)
Donc: d'accord, Fr. okay (wallacewiki)
frappe: Fr. punch or kick (wallacewiki)
Leur Rai Pays:
Bof: an interjection in French expressing lack of interest (wallacewiki)
de coeur: Fr. of the heard (wallacewiki)
sybaritically: in the manner of one who engages in sensual pleasure (wallacewiki)
mordant: black: harshly ironic or sinister; "black humor"; "a grim joke"; "grim laughter"; "fun ranging from slapstick clowning ... to savage mordant wit" (Princeton Word Net)
oeuvre: A work of art; The complete body of an artist's work (wiki)
katexia: Wallace wiki has something to say on a definition that is NOT meant here.
restenotic: refers to restenosis, or the re-narrowing of blood vessels after initial stenosis (stenosis: The abnormal narrowing of a bodily passage or opening, such as a blood vessel.)
(thank you rianvision.com)
chanteur fou: Fr. crazy singer (wallacewiki)
protrusive: thrusting outward (PWN)
gonions: the craniometric point on either side at the apex of the lower jaw (PWN)
armamentarium: the collection of equipment and methods used in the practice of medicine (PWN)
brachiatishly: something to do with brachia? or brachiate (To move around in trees by arm-swinging from branch to branch) (ADW)
lalating: ?
heuristic:
thanatoptic: thanatopsis: a meditation upon death (answers.com)
olla podrida: A stew of highly seasoned meat and vegetables; A mixture; a hodge-podge (wiki)
Like defining.
veronica: a bullfighting maneuver where the matador swings his cape away from the charging bull (wallacewiki)
sartorially: Relating to good clothing or skilled tailoring (wiki)
coffre d'amas: Fr. waste basket (wallacewiki)
Donc: d'accord, Fr. okay (wallacewiki)
frappe: Fr. punch or kick (wallacewiki)
Leur Rai Pays:
Bof: an interjection in French expressing lack of interest (wallacewiki)
de coeur: Fr. of the heard (wallacewiki)
sybaritically: in the manner of one who engages in sensual pleasure (wallacewiki)
mordant: black: harshly ironic or sinister; "black humor"; "a grim joke"; "grim laughter"; "fun ranging from slapstick clowning ... to savage mordant wit" (Princeton Word Net)
oeuvre: A work of art; The complete body of an artist's work (wiki)
katexia: Wallace wiki has something to say on a definition that is NOT meant here.
restenotic: refers to restenosis, or the re-narrowing of blood vessels after initial stenosis (stenosis: The abnormal narrowing of a bodily passage or opening, such as a blood vessel.)
(thank you rianvision.com)
chanteur fou: Fr. crazy singer (wallacewiki)
protrusive: thrusting outward (PWN)
gonions: the craniometric point on either side at the apex of the lower jaw (PWN)
armamentarium: the collection of equipment and methods used in the practice of medicine (PWN)
brachiatishly: something to do with brachia? or brachiate (To move around in trees by arm-swinging from branch to branch) (ADW)
lalating: ?
heuristic:
- a commonsense rule (or set of rules) intended to increase the probability of solving some problem
- of or relating to or using a general formulation that serves to guide investigation (PWN)
thanatoptic: thanatopsis: a meditation upon death (answers.com)
olla podrida: A stew of highly seasoned meat and vegetables; A mixture; a hodge-podge (wiki)
Saturday, August 8, 2009
VD9
Just passed page 700. YES.
I'm now fairly certain I will finish before I return to school.
prima facie: a Latin term meaning “at first sight”; used to describe a fact that is presumed to be true unless disproved by contrary evidence (thank you www.manitobacourts.mb.ca/definitions.html )
Bröckengespenstphänom: "German: Boulder-ghost-phenomenon, as best I can tell; the umlauts are incorrect" (wallacewiki; I remember reading something about this before but can't recall what it was.)
transmural infarction: heart attack (wallacewiki)
plura: a misspelling (likely) of "pleura," which is a thin membrane enclosing the lungs (wallacewiki)
jape: a joke; to jest; to play tricks; to jeer; to mock; to trick (wiki)
anaclitic: denoting a person whose choice of love-interest arises from the dependence of the libido on another instinct (e.g. hunger); pertaining to an acute emotional dependence on another person or persons (wiki)
monilial: apparently related to yeast infections. (amalgamated from google results)
furcated: forked or branched (wiki)
perspicuous: limpid: (of language) transparently clear; easily understandable (Princeton Word Net)
punitive: inflicting punishment (PWN)
vermiform: looking like a worm (wallacewiki)
pule: a plaintive whine (wiki)
pariah: outcast; a person who is rejected (from society or home) (PWN)
deuteragonist: in literature, the second most important character after the protagonist (wiki)
epicene:
hanuman-faced: hanuman - a monkey held sacred in India (wallace wiki); therefore, monkey-faced
cognoscenti: people having superior knowledge (wallacewiki)
novenas: A recitation of prayers and devotions for nine consecutive days, especially one to a saint to ask for their intercession (wiki)
verger: a church officer who takes care of the interior of the building and acts as an attendant (carries the verge) during ceremonies (PWN)
lapsarian: A person who believes in this doctrine; Of or pertaining to the fall of man from innocence, especially to the role of women in that fall (wiki)
CONTRARIA SUNT COMPLETMENTA: "Opposites are complementary" (http://blog.kyleoliver.net/2007/12/bohr-identity.html)
I'm now fairly certain I will finish before I return to school.
prima facie: a Latin term meaning “at first sight”; used to describe a fact that is presumed to be true unless disproved by contrary evidence (thank you www.manitobacourts.mb.ca/definitions.html )
Bröckengespenstphänom: "German: Boulder-ghost-phenomenon, as best I can tell; the umlauts are incorrect" (wallacewiki; I remember reading something about this before but can't recall what it was.)
transmural infarction: heart attack (wallacewiki)
plura: a misspelling (likely) of "pleura," which is a thin membrane enclosing the lungs (wallacewiki)
jape: a joke; to jest; to play tricks; to jeer; to mock; to trick (wiki)
anaclitic: denoting a person whose choice of love-interest arises from the dependence of the libido on another instinct (e.g. hunger); pertaining to an acute emotional dependence on another person or persons (wiki)
monilial: apparently related to yeast infections. (amalgamated from google results)
furcated: forked or branched (wiki)
perspicuous: limpid: (of language) transparently clear; easily understandable (Princeton Word Net)
punitive: inflicting punishment (PWN)
vermiform: looking like a worm (wallacewiki)
pule: a plaintive whine (wiki)
pariah: outcast; a person who is rejected (from society or home) (PWN)
deuteragonist: in literature, the second most important character after the protagonist (wiki)
epicene:
- bisexual: having an ambiguous sexual identity
- hermaphrodite: one having both male and female sexual characteristics and organs; at birth an unambiguous assignment of male or female cannot be made
- effeminate: having unsuitable feminine qualities (PWN)
hanuman-faced: hanuman - a monkey held sacred in India (wallace wiki); therefore, monkey-faced
cognoscenti: people having superior knowledge (wallacewiki)
novenas: A recitation of prayers and devotions for nine consecutive days, especially one to a saint to ask for their intercession (wiki)
verger: a church officer who takes care of the interior of the building and acts as an attendant (carries the verge) during ceremonies (PWN)
lapsarian: A person who believes in this doctrine; Of or pertaining to the fall of man from innocence, especially to the role of women in that fall (wiki)
CONTRARIA SUNT COMPLETMENTA: "Opposites are complementary" (http://blog.kyleoliver.net/2007/12/bohr-identity.html)
Thursday, August 6, 2009
VD8
Somewhere solidly in the 600s. Oh yes, with 19 days left until I go back to school.
eubliette: a dungeon with the only entrance or exit being a trap door in the ceiling (Princeton Word Net)
adtorsion: a turning inward of both eyes. (thank you medical-dictionary.com)
ailanthus: any of several deciduous Asian trees of the genus Ailanthus (PWN)
collops: rolls of fat (wallacewiki.com)
nostrums: nostrum - A medicine or remedy in conventional use which has not been proven to have any desirable medical effects (wiki)
coprolaliac: coprolalia- the obsessive use of scatological language. (dictionary.com)
phylogenic: Based on evolutionary development. (thank you www.releasechimps.com-- yes, that's the name of the site)
verdigrised: Coated with a deposit of copper, usually greenish or bluish in color. (wiki)
coruscant: aglitter(p): having brief brilliant points or flashes of light; "bugle beads all aglitter"; "glinting eyes" (PWN; and yes, three/four definitions on the googledefine concerned the glittery planet of Star Wars origin)
carminative: medication that prevents the formation of gas in the alimentary tract or eases its passing (PWN)
buttinski: buttinsky-- one who butts in, interrupts, where he or she is not welcome (wiki)
R.H.I.P: "rank has its privileges"
saltire: St. Andrew's cross: a cross resembling the letter x, with diagonal bars of equal length (PWN)
tektitic: tektite-- Any of numerous generally small, rounded, dark brown to green glassy objects that are composed of silicate glass and are thought to have been formed by the impact of a meteorite with the earth's surface. (dictionary.com)
colposcope: a form of endoscope used to examine the tissues of the vagina and cervix (wiki)
olla: a pot for making stew, or stew itself (wallacewiki)
tsimmes: a fruit and vegetable casserole (wallacewiki)
eubliette: a dungeon with the only entrance or exit being a trap door in the ceiling (Princeton Word Net)
adtorsion: a turning inward of both eyes. (thank you medical-dictionary.com)
ailanthus: any of several deciduous Asian trees of the genus Ailanthus (PWN)
collops: rolls of fat (wallacewiki.com)
nostrums: nostrum - A medicine or remedy in conventional use which has not been proven to have any desirable medical effects (wiki)
coprolaliac: coprolalia- the obsessive use of scatological language. (dictionary.com)
phylogenic: Based on evolutionary development. (thank you www.releasechimps.com-- yes, that's the name of the site)
verdigrised: Coated with a deposit of copper, usually greenish or bluish in color. (wiki)
coruscant: aglitter(p): having brief brilliant points or flashes of light; "bugle beads all aglitter"; "glinting eyes" (PWN; and yes, three/four definitions on the googledefine concerned the glittery planet of Star Wars origin)
carminative: medication that prevents the formation of gas in the alimentary tract or eases its passing (PWN)
buttinski: buttinsky-- one who butts in, interrupts, where he or she is not welcome (wiki)
R.H.I.P: "rank has its privileges"
saltire: St. Andrew's cross: a cross resembling the letter x, with diagonal bars of equal length (PWN)
tektitic: tektite-- Any of numerous generally small, rounded, dark brown to green glassy objects that are composed of silicate glass and are thought to have been formed by the impact of a meteorite with the earth's surface. (dictionary.com)
colposcope: a form of endoscope used to examine the tissues of the vagina and cervix (wiki)
olla: a pot for making stew, or stew itself (wallacewiki)
tsimmes: a fruit and vegetable casserole (wallacewiki)
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
VD7
I feel sorry for whatever person is reading this blog and happens to wade through my vocabdump posts instead of just skipping them.
Currently in the 580's or 9o's of the novel...it remains astounding to me that I'm over halfway through. While reading IJ it really does feel infinite and the idea of it ending seems foolish.
Anyway.
escutcheon:
sinistral:
raison-d'être:
brisance: a measure of the rapidity with which an explosive develops its maximum pressure. (wiki)
reseau:
ambit: The sphere or area of control and influence of something; A circuit, or a boundary around a property; A span of actions, thoughts, or words (wiki)
cathexis: the concentration of libido or emotional energy on a single object or idea (PWN)
threnody: dirge: a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person (PWN)
traversion: apparently to Schtitt-- character is traversion.
anomic: class-alienating
Currently in the 580's or 9o's of the novel...it remains astounding to me that I'm over halfway through. While reading IJ it really does feel infinite and the idea of it ending seems foolish.
Anyway.
escutcheon:
- finger plate: a flat protective covering (on a door or wall etc) to prevent soiling by dirty fingers
- (nautical) a plate on a ship's stern on which the name is inscribed
- a shield; especially one displaying a coat of arms (Princeton Word Net)
sinistral:
- of or on the left; "a sinistral gastropod shell with the apex upward has its opening on the left when facing the observer"; "a sinistral flatfish ...
- preferring to use left foot or hand or eye; "sinistral individuals exhibit dominance of the left hand and eye" (PWN)
raison-d'être:
- reason for being
- the purpose that justifies a thing's existence
brisance: a measure of the rapidity with which an explosive develops its maximum pressure. (wiki)
reseau:
- a net or mesh foundation for lace
- a network of fine lines used by astronomers as a reference for measurements on star photographs (PWN)
ambit: The sphere or area of control and influence of something; A circuit, or a boundary around a property; A span of actions, thoughts, or words (wiki)
cathexis: the concentration of libido or emotional energy on a single object or idea (PWN)
threnody: dirge: a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person (PWN)
traversion: apparently to Schtitt-- character is traversion.
anomic: class-alienating
Friday, July 31, 2009
YES.
I've just passed page 500.
Not quite the halfway point...but counting the endnotes (now into the 200's) perhaps I am almost halfway through. 17 + 34 = 51 pages of endnotes, so YES. I am halfway through now.
That took about a month and a half with a week taken out for vacation (from IJ).
Huh. So at this rate I'll perhaps finish the second week in September.
I either need to speed up or just be ready to read it at school and finish with everyone else at I-S.
Whew.
Not quite the halfway point...but counting the endnotes (now into the 200's) perhaps I am almost halfway through. 17 + 34 = 51 pages of endnotes, so YES. I am halfway through now.
That took about a month and a half with a week taken out for vacation (from IJ).
Huh. So at this rate I'll perhaps finish the second week in September.
I either need to speed up or just be ready to read it at school and finish with everyone else at I-S.
Whew.
VD6
mysticetously: in the manner of a baleen whale (wallacewiki)
crèche-type : Nativity scene, a group of figures arranged to represent the birth of Jesus Christ (wiki)
propinquous: nearness or proximity, similarity or affiliation (wiki)
finial: an ornament at the top of a spire or gable; usually a foliated fleur-de-lis (Princeton Word Net)
stelliform: shaped like a star (wiki)
cerise-gloved: gloves that are red like the color of ripe cherries (PWN)
teratoid: An abnormal tumor similar to a teratoma; A mutant; Monster-like, exhibiting abnormal development (wiki)
patina: (in this context) a sheen on wooden furniture (wiki)
culcate: Page 488, 10 lines from bottom: culcate, doesn’t appear to be a real word, but inculcate means to impress upon somebody’s mind; to fix something in somebody’s mind through frequent and forceful repetition. The latin root, inculcare, means literally “to stamp in”, from its root calcare, meaning “to step on or press in”. In this sense, culcate might mean to impress upon somebody’s mind but without the frequent and forceful repetition. (View from the Cage, another Blogspot blog)
inguinal canal: The inguinal canal is a passage in the anterior (toward the front of the body) abdominal wall which in men conveys the spermatic cord and in women the round ligament. The inguinal canal is larger and more prominent in men. (wiki; creepers that broomstick was shoved all the way down there?!)
palisade: A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure. (wiki)
metastisate: sic- metastasize: the spreading of a disease (especially cancer) to another part of the body (PWN)
dihedral triangle: A right triangle is one whose largest angle is 90º. Dihedral means "having two sides." (thank you wallacewiki)
ebullient: joyously unrestrained (PWN)
Powell's "Peeping Tom": Michael Latham Powell (1905-1990) was a British filmmaker, and Peeping Tom was one of his films. (wallace wiki)
anechoic: not having or producing echoes; sound-absorbent; "an anechoic chamber" (PWN)
catalepsy: a trancelike state with loss of voluntary motion and failure to react to stimuli (PWN)
anhedonia: an inability to experience pleasure (PWN)
styptic: contracting tissue (wallacewiki)
samizdat: a system of clandestine printing and distribution of dissident or banned literature (PWN)
jongleur: French wandering minstrels (which included musicians, acrobats, jugglers, and clowns), usually from the lower class (www.renaissancemagazine.com)
pantalone: is a stock character that is classified as one of the vecchi (old men) in Commedia dell'arte. He is a miserly and often libidinous character who is portrayed as a Venetian and often speaks in the Venetian dialect. (wiki)
crèche-type : Nativity scene, a group of figures arranged to represent the birth of Jesus Christ (wiki)
propinquous: nearness or proximity, similarity or affiliation (wiki)
finial: an ornament at the top of a spire or gable; usually a foliated fleur-de-lis (Princeton Word Net)
stelliform: shaped like a star (wiki)
cerise-gloved: gloves that are red like the color of ripe cherries (PWN)
teratoid: An abnormal tumor similar to a teratoma; A mutant; Monster-like, exhibiting abnormal development (wiki)
patina: (in this context) a sheen on wooden furniture (wiki)
culcate: Page 488, 10 lines from bottom: culcate, doesn’t appear to be a real word, but inculcate means to impress upon somebody’s mind; to fix something in somebody’s mind through frequent and forceful repetition. The latin root, inculcare, means literally “to stamp in”, from its root calcare, meaning “to step on or press in”. In this sense, culcate might mean to impress upon somebody’s mind but without the frequent and forceful repetition. (View from the Cage, another Blogspot blog)
inguinal canal: The inguinal canal is a passage in the anterior (toward the front of the body) abdominal wall which in men conveys the spermatic cord and in women the round ligament. The inguinal canal is larger and more prominent in men. (wiki; creepers that broomstick was shoved all the way down there?!)
palisade: A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure. (wiki)
metastisate: sic- metastasize: the spreading of a disease (especially cancer) to another part of the body (PWN)
dihedral triangle: A right triangle is one whose largest angle is 90º. Dihedral means "having two sides." (thank you wallacewiki)
ebullient: joyously unrestrained (PWN)
Powell's "Peeping Tom": Michael Latham Powell (1905-1990) was a British filmmaker, and Peeping Tom was one of his films. (wallace wiki)
anechoic: not having or producing echoes; sound-absorbent; "an anechoic chamber" (PWN)
catalepsy: a trancelike state with loss of voluntary motion and failure to react to stimuli (PWN)
anhedonia: an inability to experience pleasure (PWN)
styptic: contracting tissue (wallacewiki)
samizdat: a system of clandestine printing and distribution of dissident or banned literature (PWN)
jongleur: French wandering minstrels (which included musicians, acrobats, jugglers, and clowns), usually from the lower class (www.renaissancemagazine.com)
pantalone: is a stock character that is classified as one of the vecchi (old men) in Commedia dell'arte. He is a miserly and often libidinous character who is portrayed as a Venetian and often speaks in the Venetian dialect. (wiki)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
VD5
I haven't read IJ since...last Tuesday, but I MUST do a vocab recap before I go any further.
Uberad: Like a "super" ad. (wallacewiki.com)
The Sherman Act: The Sherman Antitrust Act (Sherman Act, July 2, 1890, ch. 647, , ) was the first United States Federal statute to limit cartels and monopolies. (wikipedia)
declivity: descent- a downward slope or bend (Princeton Word Net)
mafficking: Noisy rejoicings of a multitude (wiki. and AWESOME)
cuirass: medieval body armor that covers the chest and back (PWN)
vig: A commission taken for certain bets by the house. (crapspit.org)
Kafka-esque rules: (interesting enough that I'll copy the whole thing. Wiki)
Gaugin-motif:
Here is a painting by Gaugin called "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" (wiki commons)
morendo: musical term- fading away in tone or tempo (wiki)
misprision: neglect or wrongful execution of official duties; misinterpretation or misunderstanding (wiki)
spic: Spic is an ethnic slur used in English speaking countries for a person of Hispanic descent. (wiki; I love that I have to look up ethnic slurs. Egad.)
Finished for now.
Gonna dive in even though I can't even dive in real water.
Uberad: Like a "super" ad. (wallacewiki.com)
The Sherman Act: The Sherman Antitrust Act (Sherman Act, July 2, 1890, ch. 647, , ) was the first United States Federal statute to limit cartels and monopolies. (wikipedia)
declivity: descent- a downward slope or bend (Princeton Word Net)
mafficking: Noisy rejoicings of a multitude (wiki. and AWESOME)
cuirass: medieval body armor that covers the chest and back (PWN)
vig: A commission taken for certain bets by the house. (crapspit.org)
Kafka-esque rules: (interesting enough that I'll copy the whole thing. Wiki)
"Kafkaesque" is an eponym used to describe concepts, situations, and ideas which are reminiscent of the literary work of Prague writer Franz Kafka, particularly his novels The Trial and The Castle, and the novella The Metamorphosis.
The term, which is quite fluid in definition, has also been described as "marked by a senseless, disorienting, often menacing complexity: Kafkaesque bureaucracies"[1] and "marked by surreal distortion and often a sense of impending danger: Kafkaesque fantasies of the impassive interrogation, the false trial, the confiscated passport ... haunt his innocence" — The New Yorker.[2]
It can also describe an intentional distortion of reality by powerful but anonymous bureaucrats. "Lack of evidence is treated as a pesky inconvenience, to be circumvented by such Kafkaesque means as depositing unproven allegations into sealed files ..." Another definition would be an existentialist state of ever-elusive freedom while existing under unmitigatable control.
The adjective refers to anything suggestive of Kafka, especially his nightmarish type of narration, in which characters lack a clear course of action, the ability to see beyond immediate events, and the possibility of escape. The term's meaning has transcended the literary realm to apply to real-life occurrences and situations that are incomprehensibly complex, bizarre, or illogical.
cordite: A smokeless propellent made by combining two high explosives: nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine used in some firearm ammunition (wiki)
yutz: Yutz is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in northeastern France. (wiki)
OR from the Yiddish, it means ditz, clutz, dumkoft, ninny, nincompoop, socially incompetant boob, twit, dumbass. (urbandictionary.com)
orts: the entrails and internal organs of a butchered animal. (wiki)
acromegalic: marked or affected by enlargement or hypertrophy of the extremities or the face; "a protruding acromegalic jaw" (PWN)
tract house: Tract housing (also known as cookie-cutter housing) is a style of housing development in which multiple identical or nearly-identical homes are built to create a community. (wiki)
genuflecting: genuflect - bend the knees and bow in church or before a religious superior or image (PWN)
revenant:
- a person who returns after a lengthy absence
- of or relating to or typical of a revenant; "revenant shrieks and groans"
- someone who has returned from the dead
- recurring: coming back; "a revenant ghost" (PWN; how many times have I had to look this up?)
- Hal, according to Schtitt.
Gaugin-motif:
Here is a painting by Gaugin called "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" (wiki commons)
morendo: musical term- fading away in tone or tempo (wiki)
misprision: neglect or wrongful execution of official duties; misinterpretation or misunderstanding (wiki)
spic: Spic is an ethnic slur used in English speaking countries for a person of Hispanic descent. (wiki; I love that I have to look up ethnic slurs. Egad.)
Finished for now.
Gonna dive in even though I can't even dive in real water.
Monday, July 20, 2009
An affinity, a sadness.
According to the Handy-Dandy Infinite Summer Reading Schedule and Bookmark In One, I've made it to August.
It's getting to the point where the weeks in pages are flying by and I can't help it.
I have to keep reading. I can't wait around for all the discussion and recapping. I have to know what happens to Hal and to Mario and to Pemulis and Don W. Gately and to Joelle Van Dyne and hear more about J. O. Incandenza (is it any coincidence that his initials spell out JOI? Joy...Jest? anyone? )
It appalls me how much I am enjoying this novel. Laughing is understandable--Infinite Jest is a satire, after all. But aside from all the humor, there is so much pain and dysfunction (relationships, bodies, Substances, ambition gone awry, suicide, abuse, etc etc etc) in the novel I'm surprised I haven't broken down crying yet.
A fellow colleague commented (obliquely) on how he's jealous of my emotional connection to the novel.
I find myself doing things like making literal thumbs-ups at characters (today at D. W. Gately on him "now go[ing] to Any Lengths to stay clean") or wincing in pain (at Detox stories) or just wanting to give some of these characters hugs (Mario, of course) and of course, laughing aloud REAL laughs at some of the ridiculous comparisons or roundabout references (the 'Help' lady from the Alzheimer's center at Ennet Marine was heard at the dawn drills at ETA).
DFW, somehow, has taken all these characters from somewhere inside of his brain and captured them in a web of connections, albeit in a fascinatingly fragmented fashion.
But what's most fascinating to me is that he's made me Love Them.
I'm drawn day after day to the bright blue cover with green letters because of the people inside who aren't actually existent but who are nevertheless compelling Alive, though only on paperback-weight leaves of an off-white mass-produced beige.
Many of the commentators on IJ at Infsum have said that by reading DFW's novel again (or for the first time, or all the way through for the first time, etc) they are again slapped in the face with the loss the literary world has suffered since DFW passed away.
The blog entry from one of his colleagues was especially touching to me. She emphasized the importance of not trying to understand Wallace and his decision to "eliminate his personal map" (as he'd put it IJ would put it) through his fiction... not looking for it to explain anything.
Separating 'Wallace' from 'Dave' was how she put it.
I've never read DFW before but I too am finding that I am sadder and sadder as I read IJ because the astounding mind that crafted this novel is no more. There's still plenty more of his that I haven't read, but that's hardly a consolation in comparison with a vibrant intellectual life.
Anyway, more Marathe/Steeply tomorrow.
It's getting to the point where the weeks in pages are flying by and I can't help it.
I have to keep reading. I can't wait around for all the discussion and recapping. I have to know what happens to Hal and to Mario and to Pemulis and Don W. Gately and to Joelle Van Dyne and hear more about J. O. Incandenza (is it any coincidence that his initials spell out JOI? Joy...Jest? anyone? )
It appalls me how much I am enjoying this novel. Laughing is understandable--Infinite Jest is a satire, after all. But aside from all the humor, there is so much pain and dysfunction (relationships, bodies, Substances, ambition gone awry, suicide, abuse, etc etc etc) in the novel I'm surprised I haven't broken down crying yet.
A fellow colleague commented (obliquely) on how he's jealous of my emotional connection to the novel.
I find myself doing things like making literal thumbs-ups at characters (today at D. W. Gately on him "now go[ing] to Any Lengths to stay clean") or wincing in pain (at Detox stories) or just wanting to give some of these characters hugs (Mario, of course) and of course, laughing aloud REAL laughs at some of the ridiculous comparisons or roundabout references (the 'Help' lady from the Alzheimer's center at Ennet Marine was heard at the dawn drills at ETA).
DFW, somehow, has taken all these characters from somewhere inside of his brain and captured them in a web of connections, albeit in a fascinatingly fragmented fashion.
But what's most fascinating to me is that he's made me Love Them.
I'm drawn day after day to the bright blue cover with green letters because of the people inside who aren't actually existent but who are nevertheless compelling Alive, though only on paperback-weight leaves of an off-white mass-produced beige.
Many of the commentators on IJ at Infsum have said that by reading DFW's novel again (or for the first time, or all the way through for the first time, etc) they are again slapped in the face with the loss the literary world has suffered since DFW passed away.
The blog entry from one of his colleagues was especially touching to me. She emphasized the importance of not trying to understand Wallace and his decision to "eliminate his personal map" (as he'd put it IJ would put it) through his fiction... not looking for it to explain anything.
Separating 'Wallace' from 'Dave' was how she put it.
I've never read DFW before but I too am finding that I am sadder and sadder as I read IJ because the astounding mind that crafted this novel is no more. There's still plenty more of his that I haven't read, but that's hardly a consolation in comparison with a vibrant intellectual life.
Anyway, more Marathe/Steeply tomorrow.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Vocab dump FOUR
Eventually I will have other posts that don't appear to be dalliances with Google define.
I should move up to a fling with the OED.
confluential: confluence - a place where things merge or flow together (especially rivers); "Pittsburgh is located at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers" (Princeton Word Net)
apr'es-garde: "after guard"--- DFW-derived, referring to J.O. Incandenza's filmic category. (Google shenanigans)
atavism: (how many times have I defined this?) a reappearance of an earlier characteristic (PWN)
abstruse: difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge (PWN)
chyme: a semiliquid mass of partially digested food that passes from the stomach through the pyloric sphincter into the duodenum (PWN)
William Blake: visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827) (PWN) (apparently Patti Smith likes him too.)
sucrotically: something to do with sugar?
hats:
2. aigrette: I believe it is the feathery part that is in fact the aigrette.
3. sallet:
4. calpac:
5. harquebus
Apparently is also spelled arquebus: an obsolete firearm with a long barrel (PWN)
Couldn't find an image of a hat by this name.
6. calotte:
7. shako (I have a note that says "bearskin" next to it):
amanuentic: amanuensis- One employed to take dictation, or copy manuscripts; A clerk, secretary or stenographer, or scribe (wiki)
agnation: patrilineage: line of descent traced through the paternal side of the family (PWN)
jingoist: One who is overly patriotic or nationalistic (wiki)
muftipants: motorcyclewear?
jejune:
glabrous: having no hair or similar growth; smooth; "glabrous stems"; "glabrous leaves"; "a glabrous scalp" (PWN)
hagiography: a biography that idealizes or idolizes the person (especially a person who is a saint) (PWN)
turpitude: Inherent baseness or depravity; corruptness and evilness; An act evident of such a depravity (wiki)
sigmoid:
Merry Widow : A strapless corset with long garters and half cups for the breasts (wiki)
dirndls: a type of traditional dress worn in southern Germany, Liechtenstein and Austria, based on the historical costume of Alpine peasants. Dresses that are loosely based on the dirndl are known as Landhausmode. (wiki)
infarction: localized necrosis resulting from obstruction of the blood supply
aspersion: a) an unfavorable or damaging remark; slander b) the act of defaming or slandering 2. a sprinkling, as with water or dust, in a literal sense 3. [rare] a sprinkling with holy water, as at a baptism (thank you http://www.gdiproductions.net/srdamd/)
saprogenic: causing or resulting from putrefaction
faute-de-mieux: For want of something better; for lack of an alternative. OR A loose, practical or formal method of proof. (wiki)
Tyrolean-hats: county of Tyrol in the Austrian Alps (wiki)
bien sur: French for "well" (google)
brinkmanship: Pursuit of an advantage by appearing to be willing to risk a dangerous policy rather than concede a point (wiki)
imbroglio:
M.O. :
I should move up to a fling with the OED.
confluential: confluence - a place where things merge or flow together (especially rivers); "Pittsburgh is located at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers" (Princeton Word Net)
apr'es-garde: "after guard"--- DFW-derived, referring to J.O. Incandenza's filmic category. (Google shenanigans)
atavism: (how many times have I defined this?) a reappearance of an earlier characteristic (PWN)
abstruse: difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge (PWN)
chyme: a semiliquid mass of partially digested food that passes from the stomach through the pyloric sphincter into the duodenum (PWN)
William Blake: visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827) (PWN) (apparently Patti Smith likes him too.)
sucrotically: something to do with sugar?
hats:
- toque:
2. aigrette: I believe it is the feathery part that is in fact the aigrette.
3. sallet:
4. calpac:
5. harquebus
Apparently is also spelled arquebus: an obsolete firearm with a long barrel (PWN)
Couldn't find an image of a hat by this name.
6. calotte:
7. shako (I have a note that says "bearskin" next to it):
amanuentic: amanuensis- One employed to take dictation, or copy manuscripts; A clerk, secretary or stenographer, or scribe (wiki)
agnation: patrilineage: line of descent traced through the paternal side of the family (PWN)
jingoist: One who is overly patriotic or nationalistic (wiki)
muftipants: motorcyclewear?
jejune:
- insubstantial: lacking in nutritive value; "the jejune diets of the very poor"
- adolescent: displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity; "adolescent insecurity"; "jejune responses to our problems"; "their behavior was juvenile"; "puerile jokes"
- insipid: lacking interest or significance or impact; "an insipid personality"; "jejune novel" (PWN)
glabrous: having no hair or similar growth; smooth; "glabrous stems"; "glabrous leaves"; "a glabrous scalp" (PWN)
hagiography: a biography that idealizes or idolizes the person (especially a person who is a saint) (PWN)
turpitude: Inherent baseness or depravity; corruptness and evilness; An act evident of such a depravity (wiki)
sigmoid:
- curved in two directions (like the letter S)
- of or relating to the sigmoid flexure in the large intestine (PWN)
Merry Widow : A strapless corset with long garters and half cups for the breasts (wiki)
dirndls: a type of traditional dress worn in southern Germany, Liechtenstein and Austria, based on the historical costume of Alpine peasants. Dresses that are loosely based on the dirndl are known as Landhausmode. (wiki)
infarction: localized necrosis resulting from obstruction of the blood supply
aspersion: a) an unfavorable or damaging remark; slander b) the act of defaming or slandering 2. a sprinkling, as with water or dust, in a literal sense 3. [rare] a sprinkling with holy water, as at a baptism (thank you http://www.gdiproductions.net/srdamd/)
saprogenic: causing or resulting from putrefaction
faute-de-mieux: For want of something better; for lack of an alternative. OR A loose, practical or formal method of proof. (wiki)
Tyrolean-hats: county of Tyrol in the Austrian Alps (wiki)
bien sur: French for "well" (google)
brinkmanship: Pursuit of an advantage by appearing to be willing to risk a dangerous policy rather than concede a point (wiki)
imbroglio:
- an intricate and confusing interpersonal or political situation
- a very embarrassing misunderstanding (PWN)
- tightly woven fabric with raised cords
- cause to feel resentment or indignation; "Her tactless remark offended me"
- a sudden outburst of anger; "his temper sparked like damp firewood" (PWN)
M.O. :
Modus operandi (often used in the abbreviated forms M.O. or simply Method) is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "method of operating".[1] The plural is modi operandi ("methods of operating"). The term is used in English to describe someone's habits or manner of working, the method of operating or functioning. It is often used in a criminal sense, to profile the methods employed by individuals during the execution of a crime, and may also be used in offender profiling,[2] where it can also be used to find clues to the perpetrator's psychology.[3] It largely consists of the methods used to execute the crime, prevent detection, and facilitate escape.[1] (wiki, of course)
meme: French--
- same
- actual
- selfsame
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Vocab dump 3
It's thundering and lightning-ing outside, but my library slip is now completely stuffed with words that need defining, if only for my own benefit.
thanatopic: thanatosis - The act of feigning death (wiki)
advertorial: an advertisement that is written and presented in the style of an editorial or journalistic report (Princeton Word Net, PWN...the irony of which I think just hit me)
microcephalic: having an abnormally small head and underdeveloped brain; "a nanocephalic dwarf" (PWN)
finski: a five dollar bill (urbandictionary.com)
eminence grise: (French) a secret or unofficial decision-maker ; the power behind the throne (wiki)
Kertwang: A term used in the novel Infinite Jest roughly meaning to insult or mess with someone. It can be used as a noun, e.g. Bobby felt his third nipple was an existential kertwang. Or a verb, e.g. God enjoyed kertwanging Bobby by sending gusts of wind to blow up his shirt to reveal his third nipple. (thank you AllExperts.com)
solander: A box, in the form of a book, used for keeping botanical specimens etc (wiki)
imbricate: place so as to overlap; "imbricate the roof tiles" (PWN)
peritonitis: is an inflammation of the lining of the body cavity and the surface of organs within it. Ruptured ulcers lead to peritonitis when the gut wall is no longer intact. There is seepage from the gut into the body cavity and adhesions may form. (www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/pigs/4449.html)
nephritis: an inflammation of the kidney (PWN)
Balaclavan: A wool hood covering the head and neck, first worn by troops in the Crimean War. Balaclava (or Balaklava) was the focal point of the "Charge of the Light Brigade."
(thank you www.civilwarhome.com)
prognathous: having a projecting lower jaw (PWN)
enuresis: inability to control the flow of urine and involuntary urination (PWN)
onanism:
coprophagia: eating feces; in human a symptom of some kinds of insanity (PWN)
fremitic: fremitus - a sensation felt by a hand placed on a part of the body (as the chest) that vibrates during speech (thank you www.history.navy.mil/library/online/influenza_terms.htm)
magisculed: Majiscule- uppercase (www.reference.com)
cunctations: procrastination: the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or defering an action to a later time (PWN. ... That sounds so dirty.)
venulated: ?
aphasiac: someone who has: Partial or total loss of the ability to articulate ideas or comprehend spoken or written language, resulting from damage to the brain caused by injury or disease. (thefreedictionary.com)
schlep:
The end. FOR NOW.
thanatopic: thanatosis - The act of feigning death (wiki)
advertorial: an advertisement that is written and presented in the style of an editorial or journalistic report (Princeton Word Net, PWN...the irony of which I think just hit me)
microcephalic: having an abnormally small head and underdeveloped brain; "a nanocephalic dwarf" (PWN)
finski: a five dollar bill (urbandictionary.com)
eminence grise: (French) a secret or unofficial decision-maker ; the power behind the throne (wiki)
Kertwang: A term used in the novel Infinite Jest roughly meaning to insult or mess with someone. It can be used as a noun, e.g. Bobby felt his third nipple was an existential kertwang. Or a verb, e.g. God enjoyed kertwanging Bobby by sending gusts of wind to blow up his shirt to reveal his third nipple. (thank you AllExperts.com)
solander: A box, in the form of a book, used for keeping botanical specimens etc (wiki)
imbricate: place so as to overlap; "imbricate the roof tiles" (PWN)
peritonitis: is an inflammation of the lining of the body cavity and the surface of organs within it. Ruptured ulcers lead to peritonitis when the gut wall is no longer intact. There is seepage from the gut into the body cavity and adhesions may form. (www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/pigs/4449.html)
nephritis: an inflammation of the kidney (PWN)
Balaclavan: A wool hood covering the head and neck, first worn by troops in the Crimean War. Balaclava (or Balaklava) was the focal point of the "Charge of the Light Brigade."
(thank you www.civilwarhome.com)
prognathous: having a projecting lower jaw (PWN)
enuresis: inability to control the flow of urine and involuntary urination (PWN)
onanism:
- masturbation: manual stimulation of the genital organs (of yourself or another) for sexual pleasure
- coitus interruptus: a method of birth control in which coitus is initiated but the penis is deliberately withdrawn before ejaculation
(PWN; this brings whole new levels of irony to the organization O.N.A.N.)
coprophagia: eating feces; in human a symptom of some kinds of insanity (PWN)
fremitic: fremitus - a sensation felt by a hand placed on a part of the body (as the chest) that vibrates during speech (thank you www.history.navy.mil/library/online/influenza_terms.htm)
magisculed: Majiscule- uppercase (www.reference.com)
cunctations: procrastination: the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or defering an action to a later time (PWN. ... That sounds so dirty.)
venulated: ?
aphasiac: someone who has: Partial or total loss of the ability to articulate ideas or comprehend spoken or written language, resulting from damage to the brain caused by injury or disease. (thefreedictionary.com)
schlep:
- schlepper: (Yiddish) an awkward and stupid person
- shlep: pull along heavily, like a heavy load against a resistance; (PWN)
The end. FOR NOW.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Moar vocab
This seems to help me remember the words better. And no one reads this (that I know of, sneaker mcsneakersons) so it'll only annoy me when it comes time to scroll.
proviso: a stipulated condition (Princeton WordNet, hereafter known as PWN)
breviary: RCC - a book of prayers to be recited daily certain priests and members of religious orders (PWN)
gynecopia: DFW-constructed. Use your imagination.
solecistic: solecism- a grammatical mistake or absurdity. (wiki)
lissome: flexible (Webster)
cui bono: "to whose benefit?" is a Latin adage that is used either to suggest a hidden motive or to indicate that the party responsible for something may not be who it appears at first to be. (wiki)
falcate: shaped like a sickle (wiki)
Anchluss: (German for "link-up"), also known as the '''''', was the 1938 incorporation of Austria into Greater Germany by Nazi Germany. (wiki. Don't know what's going on with those wild air-quotes)
blepharoprothesis: prothesis for the eyelid (South Plains College Biology)
corticate: sheathed in bark or in a cortex (wiki)
mucronate: having an abruptly tapering point (wiki)
hyperfloriate: floriate : made of or decorated with floral ornamentation. (dictionary.com)
Over flowered?
attenuate: reduce in strength (PWN)
a-clef : ? does the context have anything to do with music? I can't remember.
ablate:
Gaudeamas Igitur : De Brevitate Vitae (on the Shortness of Life), more commonly known as the Gaudeamus, is a popular academic commercium song in many European countries, mainly sung or performed at University graduation ceremonies. Despite its use as a formal graduation hymn, it is a jocular, light-hearted composition that pokes fun at university life. The song dates back to 1287[1], and was already known by the time of the founding of the alma mater of all European universities, the University of Bologna. It is in the tradition of carpe diem (seize the day), with its exhortations to enjoy life. (thank you wiki)
frisson: an almost pleasurable sensation of fright; "a frisson of surprise shot through him"
(PWN, I must start using this word)
proviso: a stipulated condition (Princeton WordNet, hereafter known as PWN)
breviary: RCC - a book of prayers to be recited daily certain priests and members of religious orders (PWN)
gynecopia: DFW-constructed. Use your imagination.
solecistic: solecism- a grammatical mistake or absurdity. (wiki)
lissome: flexible (Webster)
cui bono: "to whose benefit?" is a Latin adage that is used either to suggest a hidden motive or to indicate that the party responsible for something may not be who it appears at first to be. (wiki)
falcate: shaped like a sickle (wiki)
Anchluss: (German for "link-up"), also known as the '''''', was the 1938 incorporation of Austria into Greater Germany by Nazi Germany. (wiki. Don't know what's going on with those wild air-quotes)
blepharoprothesis: prothesis for the eyelid (South Plains College Biology)
corticate: sheathed in bark or in a cortex (wiki)
mucronate: having an abruptly tapering point (wiki)
hyperfloriate: floriate : made of or decorated with floral ornamentation. (dictionary.com)
Over flowered?
attenuate: reduce in strength (PWN)
a-clef : ? does the context have anything to do with music? I can't remember.
ablate:
- wear away through erosion or vaporization
- remove an organ or bodily structure (PWN)
Gaudeamas Igitur : De Brevitate Vitae (on the Shortness of Life), more commonly known as the Gaudeamus, is a popular academic commercium song in many European countries, mainly sung or performed at University graduation ceremonies. Despite its use as a formal graduation hymn, it is a jocular, light-hearted composition that pokes fun at university life. The song dates back to 1287[1], and was already known by the time of the founding of the alma mater of all European universities, the University of Bologna. It is in the tradition of carpe diem (seize the day), with its exhortations to enjoy life. (thank you wiki)
frisson: an almost pleasurable sensation of fright; "a frisson of surprise shot through him"
(PWN, I must start using this word)
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Periodic vocab dump
Just to make things more fun for me, here are words and definitions from unknown palabras from DFW's Infinite Jest.
Also, I don't know which page these begin on--I'm just starting from where I left off on my list.
subrosa: The Latin phrase sub rosa means "under the rose" and is used in English to denote secrecy or confidentiality, similar to the Chatham House Rule. (source: wikipedia)
selvage: the edge of a fabric that is woven so that it will not ravel or fray (Princeton Wordnet)
trumbrel: a farm dumpcart for carrying dung; carts of this type were used to carry prisoners to the guillotine during the French Revolution / instruments of social humiliation or censure (wikiPrincetonpedianet)
hack: Among other things, a kick on the arms. (PWN) I wish I could remember the context of the sentence in which I found this particular use of "hack."
asperity: harshness of manner (PWN)
afflatus: a strong creative impulse, "divine inspiration" (PWN)
labile: A susceptibility to change; instability (wiki)
annular: shaped like a ring (PWN)
bathetic: effusively or insincerely emotional (PWN) I must use this when insulting my enemies.
acclivated: possible misspelling of acclimated?
apotropaic: having the power to prevent evil or bad luck (PWN) I did make a note of the context for this one. "apotropaic barn signs"
micturation (sic)/ micturition: fancy word for urination (wiki)
lacuna: a blank gap or missing part, also an extended passage in a musical work in which no music is played (PWNwiki)
telemarchy: ? Telemachy? Homer, anyone? First four books of the Oddessey?
telemetry: automatic transmission and measurement of data from remote sources by wire or radio or other means (PWN)
ad hoc: often improvised or impromptu / for one specific case (PWN)
coccyges: pl. of coccyx, i.e. the human tailbone (wiki)
embolism: occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus (a loose clot or air bubble or other particle) (PWN)
revenant: a person who returns after a lengthy absence / someone having returned from the dead (PWN, no "spice of life," eh?)
transom: architectural-- a window over a door or other window or something having to do with the stern of a ship. Lots of definitions...google it for clarification.
reticulate: to form a net or network (PWN)
kibitz: make unwanted and intrusive comments (PWN)
nictitate[d]: to wink or blink (wiki)
egregulous: I think is a derivative of "egregious"
tremens: Delirium tremens (DT) is a potentially fatal form of ethanol (alcohol) withdrawal
mokus: apparently, "squirrel" in Hungarian. (google)
suppurating: producing pus (wiki)
nystagmic: nystagmus--rapid involuntary eye movement, usually lateral (wiki)
levantine: from the Levant (the eastern Mediterranean at large) (wiki)
lordotic: of or related to lordosis; having an abnormal backwards curvature of the spine (wiki)
"Tenabrae Factae Sunt" : Fifth of the nine responsories for Matins of Good Friday. (wiki)
anthracnose: Any of several fungal diseases that affect many plants and trees (wiki)
strabismic: strabismus - abnormal alignment of one or both eyes (WPN)
Actaeon: Dude stumbles upon Artemis bathing in the woods, amazed by her naked beauty, she is angry, tells him he'll turn into a stag if he speaks, he ends up speaking when he calls for his hunting party, his dogs turn upon him and tear him to bits. (wiki)
avuncular: being or relating to an uncle (PWN)
phylogenic: something having to do with the evolutionary history of an organism? (wiki)
ascapartic: Ascapart or Ascupart was an enormous giant, thirty feet high, who carried off sir Bevis, his wife Josian, his sword Morglay, and his steed Arundel, under his arm. Sir Bevis afterwards made Ascapart his slave, to run beside his horse. The effigy of sir Bevis is on the city gates of Southampton.—rayton: Polylbion, ii. (1612). (many thanks to kathy who commented on a blog post on The Ill Quill)
aegis: auspices (PWN)
neurasthenic: a person suffering a nervous breakdown (PWN)
Zuckung: twitch (German) (germanwikigoogletrans)
candent: incandescent (PWN)
eustacian: duh, like the tubes in your ears!
felo de se: Latin "felon of himself", suicide
detente: relaxing or easing (French) (wiki)
dentition: teething (WPN)
paucity: scarcity (wiki)
maunder:
That's all I have for now.
And more than enough for you the invisible reader, isn't it?
Also, I don't know which page these begin on--I'm just starting from where I left off on my list.
subrosa: The Latin phrase sub rosa means "under the rose" and is used in English to denote secrecy or confidentiality, similar to the Chatham House Rule. (source: wikipedia)
selvage: the edge of a fabric that is woven so that it will not ravel or fray (Princeton Wordnet)
trumbrel: a farm dumpcart for carrying dung; carts of this type were used to carry prisoners to the guillotine during the French Revolution / instruments of social humiliation or censure (wikiPrincetonpedianet)
hack: Among other things, a kick on the arms. (PWN) I wish I could remember the context of the sentence in which I found this particular use of "hack."
asperity: harshness of manner (PWN)
afflatus: a strong creative impulse, "divine inspiration" (PWN)
labile: A susceptibility to change; instability (wiki)
annular: shaped like a ring (PWN)
bathetic: effusively or insincerely emotional (PWN) I must use this when insulting my enemies.
acclivated: possible misspelling of acclimated?
apotropaic: having the power to prevent evil or bad luck (PWN) I did make a note of the context for this one. "apotropaic barn signs"
micturation (sic)/ micturition: fancy word for urination (wiki)
lacuna: a blank gap or missing part, also an extended passage in a musical work in which no music is played (PWNwiki)
telemarchy: ? Telemachy? Homer, anyone? First four books of the Oddessey?
telemetry: automatic transmission and measurement of data from remote sources by wire or radio or other means (PWN)
ad hoc: often improvised or impromptu / for one specific case (PWN)
coccyges: pl. of coccyx, i.e. the human tailbone (wiki)
embolism: occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus (a loose clot or air bubble or other particle) (PWN)
revenant: a person who returns after a lengthy absence / someone having returned from the dead (PWN, no "spice of life," eh?)
transom: architectural-- a window over a door or other window or something having to do with the stern of a ship. Lots of definitions...google it for clarification.
reticulate: to form a net or network (PWN)
kibitz: make unwanted and intrusive comments (PWN)
nictitate[d]: to wink or blink (wiki)
egregulous: I think is a derivative of "egregious"
tremens: Delirium tremens (DT) is a potentially fatal form of ethanol (alcohol) withdrawal
mokus: apparently, "squirrel" in Hungarian. (google)
suppurating: producing pus (wiki)
nystagmic: nystagmus--rapid involuntary eye movement, usually lateral (wiki)
levantine: from the Levant (the eastern Mediterranean at large) (wiki)
lordotic: of or related to lordosis; having an abnormal backwards curvature of the spine (wiki)
"Tenabrae Factae Sunt" : Fifth of the nine responsories for Matins of Good Friday. (wiki)
anthracnose: Any of several fungal diseases that affect many plants and trees (wiki)
strabismic: strabismus - abnormal alignment of one or both eyes (WPN)
Actaeon: Dude stumbles upon Artemis bathing in the woods, amazed by her naked beauty, she is angry, tells him he'll turn into a stag if he speaks, he ends up speaking when he calls for his hunting party, his dogs turn upon him and tear him to bits. (wiki)
avuncular: being or relating to an uncle (PWN)
phylogenic: something having to do with the evolutionary history of an organism? (wiki)
ascapartic: Ascapart or Ascupart was an enormous giant, thirty feet high, who carried off sir Bevis, his wife Josian, his sword Morglay, and his steed Arundel, under his arm. Sir Bevis afterwards made Ascapart his slave, to run beside his horse. The effigy of sir Bevis is on the city gates of Southampton.—rayton: Polylbion, ii. (1612). (many thanks to kathy who commented on a blog post on The Ill Quill)
aegis: auspices (PWN)
neurasthenic: a person suffering a nervous breakdown (PWN)
Zuckung: twitch (German) (germanwikigoogletrans)
candent: incandescent (PWN)
eustacian: duh, like the tubes in your ears!
felo de se: Latin "felon of himself", suicide
detente: relaxing or easing (French) (wiki)
dentition: teething (WPN)
paucity: scarcity (wiki)
maunder:
- wander aimlessly
- mumble: talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
- chatter: speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly (WPN)
That's all I have for now.
And more than enough for you the invisible reader, isn't it?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
