|k| clippings: 2014-12-12 — diss-graced

WORK

Although the wind
blows terribly here,
the moonlight also leaks
between the roof planks
of this ruined house.

—Izumi Shikibu (trans. by Jane Hirshfield and Mariko Aratani)
—from The Ink Dark Moon

WORD(S)

scapegrace. noun. A reprobate. A rascal. A reckless incorrigible. Obviously a portmanteau: escape + grace, literally one who has escaped the grace of God.

“Most of the Irish of that class are scapegraces—drink, steal, and lie like the devil.” (Sir Walter Scott)

“I imagined him an aristocratic scapegrace, a corsair—it was the Byronic period then—sailing out to marry a sort of shimmering princess…” (Joseph Conrad)

“…I learned that a certain Carpsidon, a notorious rake and scapegrace who in the upper circles led a life of reckless dissipation, had surrounded himself with a bevy of electrical bacchanettes, showering upon them the most expensive tubes and fuses imaginable.” (Stanislaw Lem)

“…now he boasts the smoothest of manners and you would see in his appearance nothing of the scapegrace urchin who, long ago, stowed away on a steamer bound from ’Frisco to Shanghai.” (Angela Carter)

WEB

1. Etymology Maps visualize language use around (mostly) Europe. Some I found most interesting: nicknames for the ‘@’ sign, different words for ‘slave’, words for ‘apple’ and, of course, various slang for ‘penis’. Interesting to see the different roots/words threading through different countries.

2. On the science behind misheard lyrics (mondegreens). I admit that even after hearing the song hundreds of times in my hair-band listening days, I thought the line in Guns & Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine” was “where, as a child, I died” when it’s “where, as a child, I’d hide.” I still hear it that way even though I know better. Same with many other mondegreens.

3. A deep look into the branding the new country of South Sudan: coat-of-arms, currency, &c.

4. “25 Hiccoughs of Guidance that Ruin Writing Style”. Beware prescriptions, even when they are antidotes to previous, poisonous prescriptions. But it never hurts to reflect on our own writing choices.

5. Today is Neutrality Day in Turkmenistan (which shares borders with Iran and Afghanistan), celebrating the 1995 United Nations resolution that “recognizes and supports the declared status of permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan.” This recognition remains a unique action in the history of the UN. Turkmenistan’s neutrality isn’t just about abstaining from participation in military activity outside its borders, but about promoting peace in the region. Tough job. See Turkemnistan’s neutrality arch.

REPRISES/RESPONSES/REJOINDERS/RIPOSTES

• Reader H. lightly chastises me for not including the translator’s name with the WORDs from Alberto Moravia’s The Conformist. I'm adding that omission to my naughty list for the year because I feel the importance of the translator and his or her own artistic contribution is too often slighted. For the record, I am reading Tami Calliope's translation.

I welcome comments, suggestions, thoughts, feedback and all manner of what-have-you. Just press ‘Reply’ or email to: clippings@katexic.com.

And please feel free to share anything here as far and wide as you want! If you want to give a shout-out, please link to: http://katexic.com/clippings/.

Daily(ish) email overwhelming you? Email chris+weekly@katexic.com to switch to the weekly digest edition.