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C, a sampling
Charientism (n.) A rhetorical term to describe saying a disagreeable thing in an agreeable way
Compotation (n.) An episode of drinking or carousing together
Constult (v.) To act stupidly together
Again, that is from Ammon Shea's excellent book.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on July 27, 2008 at 01:16 PM in Books | Permalink
Comments
What is the marginal utility of using words that most highly educated people do not know and use? What is one trying to optimize?
Posted by: Ryan Lanham at Jul 27, 2008 1:26:51 PM
I head a constulting firm!
Posted by: Unit at Jul 27, 2008 1:26:51 PM
Ryan's comment reminds me of a review of Dennis Miller in which the reviewer pointed out that he uses analogies to obscure rather than to clarify.
Posted by: Eric H at Jul 27, 2008 2:19:22 PM
Talk about opportunity cost... Friday before last, I stood in a bookstore, weighing the decision between buying 'Reading the OED' or Pynchon's 'Gravity's Rainbow' and David Foster Wallace's 'Infinite Jest.'
I sprung for the latter option, and while I am enjoying both, it almost hurts knowing how close I was to buying right into what so many blogs are now discussing...
So, Mr. Cowen, thank you for sharing what I would otherwise be missing completely.
Posted by: Glenn at Jul 27, 2008 2:53:43 PM
What is one trying to optimize?
One is trying to embiggen one's cromulence.
Posted by: at Jul 27, 2008 7:58:59 PM
I demur, they're useless words.
I recommend instead The Quintessential Dictionary by I Moyer Hunsberger, a collection of about a thousand words that enable you to read all of W.F.Buckley without looking anything up. I suggest making flash cards; that's how I did it.
My favorite entry
PUERILE ... [in the list of examples]
2. I'd like to see ... [an] experiment in which callers describe the [TV] show just seen in three adjectives. Within reason, of course. ("We have a Mr. Buckley here who finds Laverne and Shirley EGREGIOUS, PUERILE, and JEJUNE.") (D. Cavett, of NEA, "Television 'Wasteland' Revisited," Norman [Okla.] Transcript, 6/23/76, p.6)
Posted by: Ron Hardin at Jul 29, 2008 7:09:39 AM
Are we sure constult is word? I've tried looking for its definition online without success. Did find a few misspellings in public documents but otherwise no luck. It's not much use if the only way to look it up is to buy a book. People will just assume you misspelled consult.
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