5 Intriguing Things
"I don’t want you to conclude that it’s just a matter of aesthetics. Yes, Webster’s definitions are prettier. But they are also better. In fact they’re so much better that to use another dictionary is to keep yourself forever at arm’s length from the actual language. Recall that the New Oxford, for the word 'fustian,' gives 'pompous or pretentious speech or writing.' I said earlier that that wasn’t even really correct. Here, then, is Webster’s definition: 'An inflated style of writing; a kind of writing in which high-sounding words are used, above the dignity of the thoughts or subject; bombast.' Do you see the difference? What makes fustian fustian is not just that the language is pompous — it’s that this pomposity is above the dignity of the thoughts or subject. It’s using fancy language where fancy language isn’t called for. It’s a subtle difference, but that’s the whole point: English is an awfully subtle instrument. A dictionary that ignores these little shades is dangerous; in fact in those cases it’s worse than useless. It’s misleading, deflating. It divests those words of their worth and purpose."
+ In style and temperament, James Somers is the most plausible millennial heir to John McPhee.
2. Where they grow all (ok, half of) the mushrooms: Chester County, PA.
"The landscape surrounding the region is dotted with single-level cinderblock buildings—variously called mushroom 'barns,' 'houses' and 'doubles'—where the mushrooms are grown. The roads themselves hold a vehicular menagerie — flatbed trucks carrying baled hay for compost coming from as far away as the Midwest, dump trucks carting steaming compost to and from the barns and, of course, panel-bodied trucks racing to deliver just-picked mushrooms to nearby processing facilities. And when all that compost is being turned and is particularly ripe, winds carry that particular, rank aroma that says, 'You’re in mushroom country.'"
"One reason there's a backlash against Google glasses is that they try to bring the online rules into the offline world. Suddenly, anything can be recorded, and there's the expectation (if the product succeeds) that everything will be recorded. The product is called 'glass' instead of 'glasses' because Google imagines a world where every flat surface behaves by the online rules.. Well, people hate the online rules! Google's answer is, wake up, grandpa, this is the new normal. But all they're doing is trying to port a bug in the Internet over to the real world, and calling it progress. You can dress up a bug and call it a feature. You can also put dog crap in the freezer and call it ice cream. But people can taste the difference."
4. A tour of the Chinese cemeteries of Calcutta.
"The pillars of the Nam Soon Cemetery gate are crowned with porcelain Chinese lions. The lions have long lost their shining polish, but their grace and elegance is enough to remind one of the flourishing days of Calcutta (Kolkata) Chinese. Nam Soon is a small cemetery and is not well maintained. There is overgrowth of grass and the water in the pond is not well kept either."
"At our IPO roadshow, many investors asked how we differ from Twitter… The difference between us and Twitter is that many people say Twitter is much cleaner and minimalistic, but this is done as part of our strategy. Look at the results. We see that in the US, Twitter tends to fulfil users’ need for news, but when it comes to celebrity gossip or a glimpse into their lives, they tend to head to Instagram. In China, this hasn’t occurred. Both use-cases still happen on Weibo — no matter whether government agencies or celebrities; they’re all active on Weibo."
Today's 1957 American English Usage Tip
boatswain. The nautical pronunciation (bō'sn) has become so general that to avoid it is more affected than to use it.
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It’s a Subtle Difference, But That’s the Whole Point