Anna, Vronsky, and Vronsky’s old associate Golenishchev are talking about the work of a painter, in particular a painting of two boys fishing.
Thursday, October 13, 2022
“What they had no conception of”
Also from this novel
“The turning point of summer” : Theory of dairy farming : Toothache : Anna meta : “Brainless beef!” : “He could not help observing this” : “Official activity” : “All of this together”
By Michael Leddy at 8:25 AM comments: 2
Borometer
Elaine thought it up, but she left it for me to do the work of defining:
bor∙o∙me∙ter \ˈbȯr-ō-ˌmē-tər n [fr. Elaine Fine, composer and musician] (2022) : the little-understood brain mechanism that measures the boringness of a film or a television show <My husband’s ⁓ is functioning well, as evidenced by his falling asleep during this film>See also humormeter.
By Michael Leddy at 8:24 AM comments: 2
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Gabbard, Palin, Hitchens
I think this formulation works:
Tulsi Gabbard is the Sarah Palin of Christopher Hitchenses.
Or:
Tulsi Gabbard is the Christopher Hitchens of Sarah Palins.
I can see it both ways. Context here.
[I’ve already reminded myself, many times, that I once thought of Gabbard as a likely member of a Bernie Sanders administration. Good grief.]
By Michael Leddy at 8:42 PM comments: 0
A critical reader
I just cited Bryan Garner once again, so I’ll toot my horn — just once — in this post:
<toot>
I’m a member of the panel of critical readers for the forthcoming fifth edition of Garner’s Modern English Usage. What that means: I was given a chunk of the revised text to read and edit and comment on in whatever ways seemed appropriate. My chunk: from boyish to cigaret, which seems like a chapter from my life. I also read, edited, and commented on other entries that drew my interest. The work was an exhilarating, mind-stretching joy.
</toot>
The fifth edition of GMEU is available for pre-order from Amazon.
Related reading
All OCA Garner posts (Pinboard)
[Cigaret ? A “needless variant.” That chapter closed on October 8, 1989. And yes, “from boyish to cigaret ” makes me think of “from crayons to perfume.”]
By Michael Leddy at 9:21 AM comments: 0
As [+ adj.] a [+ n.] as
I was surprised to see this headline in The New York Times, not because of the question but because of the phrasing:
[The New York Times, October 12, 2022.]
From Garner’s Modern English Usage:
As [+ adj.] a [+ n.] as. In AmE, writers sometimes err by inserting of after the adjective. But good usage rejects this — e.g.: “From the sidelines, Nunez became nearly as good of a cheerleader [read as good a cheerleader ] as he was a running back.” Jaime Aron, “Westlake’s Nunez Leads AP Honor Roll,”Austin Am.-Statesman, 26 Oct, 1994, at C3.The answer to the question the Times poses seems to be “Who knows?” Because “anything could happen.”
*
What has happened: someone fixed it.
[The New York Times, October 12, 2022.]
By Michael Leddy at 9:08 AM comments: 0
Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Angela Lansbury (1925-2022)
Nancy. Edwina Brown. Sybil Vane. Mabel Sabre. Doris Hillman. Myra Leeds. Eleanor Shaw Iselin. Isabel Boyd. Nellie Lovett. Jessica Fletcher. Mrs. Potts. Balloon Lady. Those are the roles I know her from.
The New York Times has an obituary.
By Michael Leddy at 4:23 PM comments: 0
Coronation with Zeppelin
I had a crown placed on a molar this morning. It’s a much simpler matter than a root canal: the dentist drills away the temporary crown, does some 3-D imaging, [mysterious gap], makes some small adjustments, [mysterious gap], and cements the permanent crown in place. In the mysterious gaps: the making of the crown and its placement in a kiln. Those things happened offstage, or at least off my part of the stage.
The strangest thing about my adventure in dentistry: the local radio station that plays in the dentist’s office played Led Zeppelin for at least half an hour or so while I sat in the chair. “Squeeze my lemon till the juice runs down my leg”: I never thought I’d hear that in a dentist’s office.
See also How to have a root canal.
[The lyric is from “Traveling Riverside Blues,” Led Zeppelin’s refashioning of a Robert Johnson song. And no, I’m not a Led Zeppelin fan, but I can recognize their music.]
By Michael Leddy at 3:59 PM comments: 0
“All of this together”
Konstantin Dmitrievitch Levin is happy.
Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, translated by Constance Garnett, revised by Leonard J. Kent and Nina Berberova (New York: Modern Library, 2000).
Also from this novel
“The turning point of summer” : Theory of dairy farming : Toothache : Anna meta : “Brainless beef!” : “He could not help observing this” : “Official activity”
[The revised translation replaces roofs with roof, pavement with sidewalks, and doves with pigeons. So it’s puzzling to see dove in the fourth sentence.]
By Michael Leddy at 8:01 AM comments: 0
Fritzi at 100
From The Daily Cartoonist : “A Century of Fritzi Ritz.” Fritzi Ritz, later known as Nancy’s Aunt Fritzi, first appeared in the New York World on October 9, 1922.
Related reading
All OCA Nancy posts (Pinboard)
By Michael Leddy at 7:58 AM comments: 0