As always, useful and amusing, a rare combo. I don’t go in much for pop music these days, but I loved this song, which featured two young women from the Isle of Wight singing about a chaise longue.
Came here to talk about this song. I always wondered if anyone hearing this song the first time thought, "chaise LONG? Huh???"
I had a friend (coworker, cow-orker) who told me about getting a new "bedroom suit" which confused me until I figured out what she meant. I wonder whether the word "suite" is becoming "suit" in various parts of the US?
Absolutely delightful and I learned a lot about hyphens, an area where I have always felt I had a weak understanding. I've been wondering what you think about a phrase I've been hearing increasingly often: "let me be clear." For my part I can't tell whether it's really useless and banal or whether I'm just sick of it. I'm curious what you think.
Let me be clear, if I’m telling the truth, in fact, that said, at the end of the day, of course, it goes without saying: It’s the whole crew of usually useless introductions and transitions that we all, or at least most of us, use on occasion.
Now I'm wondering if we should all honor whatever it is in us that makes us hate these dull phrases....although I've had bosses I like who used some of these as punctuation and as long as their meetings were short and not stupid, I could think my own thoughts and ignore.
Your note on the unknown origin of "lounge" dovetailed nicely with something else I enjoyed this morning. There's a delightful daily email on language, A.Word.A.Day, from wordsmith.org, that signs off with an afterword quote. Today's was from Richard Feynman: "I don't have to know an answer. I don't feel frightened not knowing things, by being lost in a mysterious universe without any purpose, which is the way it really is as far as I can tell." Let's celebrate uncertainty.
I'm 64 years old and have just learned that it's chaise longue and not chaise lounge. One more bit of enlightenment for which I can (and do) thank you!
Nope! Because it (mostly) belongs on the lawn. Although, there's been one sad season in my life, after a divorce, when lawn chairs were indoor furniture for a time.
I grew up in NY and only knew "lawn chair" too, that is, anything that is outside furniture. (As opposed to a "beach chair" that has short legs and is only brought to the beach!)
But then how you distinguish a lawn chair that is just a chair and a lawn chair that has the fold-out part you can rest your legs on? Those are the ones we'd fight over as kids but I don't remember having a special name for them.
Did you say Oscar Levant was supposed to be the middle triplet in that number? Can we pay some AI expert lots of money to make that happen? And can anyone explain why a child in the fifth grade (me) would have gone as Oscar Levant for Halloween, complete with a necklace made of pill bottles? No one is left to corroborate this distinct memory.
Now, I can always click on the three dots that sit to the lower right of a comment of mine and edit to my heart’s delight. (At least I can do that on my desktop, perhaps not on my phone...?) Do you not have that option on your side?
May I vent, sir? (If I may not, please feel free to delete this comment. If I may, I shall.)
I love footnotes wherein the author adds delightful little bonuses that don't fit into the flow of the main textual body but are yet worthy of dissemination. It is so nice when an asterisk or a similar typographical pointer directs me to the bottom of that very page, where the morsel can be consumed immediately. It is not (for me at least) at all nice when a numeric superscript directs me away from the page of the moment to a dungeon near the end of the volume where the endnotes are confined, there to digest the aside while hoping my finger does not slip and leave me dislocated from my place in the main text. Or, alternatively, I sometimes ignore the beckoning superscripts, finish the book, and then try to consume the endnotes en masse.
Why am I venting about this in your esteemed direction? Because your end/footnotes in my view must be take in fresh and so I find myself frantically scrolling up and down from text to note and back a dozen times or so per 'stackery. It is a bit awkward to be frank.
And so I ask: Might the Wizards of Substack have the ability to render the footnote-identifying superscript as a hypertext link taking one in an instant to the location of the note; then perhaps offering at note's end a live "<back>" that would return one to the place in the main text from whence one descended? It would save a lot of scrolling.
If this suggestion is beyond the reach of current technology I shall sigh and muddle as before. But I thought it couldn't hurt to ask.
If you tap on (iPhone) or hover over (desktop) the superscript number, the footnote will materialize, and when you untap or unhover, it goes away. There is no need for scrolling; the technology is already there and sound.
You can’t know that the system’s there/how to work it till you either happily light on it or someone tells you how to work it. But now you know! As ever, B.
Thank you for noting the etymological obscurity of "lounge", which naturally enough sent me scurrying off to read the details. Definitely one of those histories that seems to tell us something about a culture.
When you're in the mood, check the OED to learn why the fancy word for screwing is "fornication".
I think this is the first photo of Sallie's complete self. She appears more petite than I thought she was, and she has lovely markings. It would indeed be a shame to move her or rearrange her pillows. I, too, cannot write in coffee shops, though I used to try to do so.
Okay, so here's one that comes up for me surprisingly often: More than one still life. As in, "She painted a dozen still lifes last year." Or is it still lives? Obviously "still life paintings" or "still life drawings" gets around it, but sometimes that's awkward.
As I’d guessed before checking, Merriam-Webster offers still lifes (and only still lifes) as the plural. I find that suitable. That is, it’s not the plural of life with a still preceding it. It’s the plural of the whole deal.
Vaguely relatedly, that's why I prefer "gaslighted" (in the sense of what Charles Boyer does to Ingrid Bergman) to "gaslit." The latter is fine for the idea of illumination; the former is a better reflection of the act of gaslighting (and of the title of the thing whence it derives).
The hyphenated "multi-family," I note, has narrowed considerably the once formidable lead of "multifamily," but the latter remains ahead. I wouldn't say that "multifamily" is particularly graceful-looking, but it's used a lot and is perfectly readable, so maybe let's save our hyphen for something else?
This from a person who, when young, persisted in pronouncing the word meNISSerees. Until it became apparent they were referring to a series of limited length. At which point I felt indubitably like a rube.
Your number 4: I have grown accustomed to the idea that I write “antinuclear activist” but “pro-nuclear advocate.” My decision isn’t based on a clear-headed analysis but on observation of how others proceed.
As always, useful and amusing, a rare combo. I don’t go in much for pop music these days, but I loved this song, which featured two young women from the Isle of Wight singing about a chaise longue.
https://youtu.be/Zd9jeJk2UHQ?si=PfnNQdtgvMeiuAS2
“Would you like us to assign someone to worry your mother” is a great line.
Came here to talk about this song. I always wondered if anyone hearing this song the first time thought, "chaise LONG? Huh???"
I had a friend (coworker, cow-orker) who told me about getting a new "bedroom suit" which confused me until I figured out what she meant. I wonder whether the word "suite" is becoming "suit" in various parts of the US?
I have heard that pronunciation in furniture store commercials over the years. I don't remember for sure, but I think it was most likely in Florida.
Ruth Gordon! Personally, I thought “Where’s Poppa” one of the funniest movie ever … “Blazing Saddles” the all-time funniest.
Absolutely delightful and I learned a lot about hyphens, an area where I have always felt I had a weak understanding. I've been wondering what you think about a phrase I've been hearing increasingly often: "let me be clear." For my part I can't tell whether it's really useless and banal or whether I'm just sick of it. I'm curious what you think.
Let me be clear, if I’m telling the truth, in fact, that said, at the end of the day, of course, it goes without saying: It’s the whole crew of usually useless introductions and transitions that we all, or at least most of us, use on occasion.
“Let me be clear” is particularly dull.
"Let me be perfectly clear" is to Nixon as "Like you've never seen before" is to Trump, and if I never hear either one again, it'll be too soon.
Much as I love Obama, I dislike how he frequently starts a sentence with, “Look”.
Now I'm wondering if we should all honor whatever it is in us that makes us hate these dull phrases....although I've had bosses I like who used some of these as punctuation and as long as their meetings were short and not stupid, I could think my own thoughts and ignore.
Lord, I had many of those yellow books of piano music.
Your note on the unknown origin of "lounge" dovetailed nicely with something else I enjoyed this morning. There's a delightful daily email on language, A.Word.A.Day, from wordsmith.org, that signs off with an afterword quote. Today's was from Richard Feynman: "I don't have to know an answer. I don't feel frightened not knowing things, by being lost in a mysterious universe without any purpose, which is the way it really is as far as I can tell." Let's celebrate uncertainty.
That’s marvelous!
I'm 64 years old and have just learned that it's chaise longue and not chaise lounge. One more bit of enlightenment for which I can (and do) thank you!
Here in Texas, we just call that piece of outdoor furniture a “lawn chair”..
Not a "long chair"? Just checking.
Nope! Because it (mostly) belongs on the lawn. Although, there's been one sad season in my life, after a divorce, when lawn chairs were indoor furniture for a time.
I grew up in NY and only knew "lawn chair" too, that is, anything that is outside furniture. (As opposed to a "beach chair" that has short legs and is only brought to the beach!)
But then how you distinguish a lawn chair that is just a chair and a lawn chair that has the fold-out part you can rest your legs on? Those are the ones we'd fight over as kids but I don't remember having a special name for them.
Did you say Oscar Levant was supposed to be the middle triplet in that number? Can we pay some AI expert lots of money to make that happen? And can anyone explain why a child in the fifth grade (me) would have gone as Oscar Levant for Halloween, complete with a necklace made of pill bottles? No one is left to corroborate this distinct memory.
I have to admit that I’m shocked to read this about ‘lightbulb”. Also, hello to Sallie, who appears to be a very fine girl.
Why why why can’t I edit my typos? 😩
Now, I can always click on the three dots that sit to the lower right of a comment of mine and edit to my heart’s delight. (At least I can do that on my desktop, perhaps not on my phone...?) Do you not have that option on your side?
May I vent, sir? (If I may not, please feel free to delete this comment. If I may, I shall.)
I love footnotes wherein the author adds delightful little bonuses that don't fit into the flow of the main textual body but are yet worthy of dissemination. It is so nice when an asterisk or a similar typographical pointer directs me to the bottom of that very page, where the morsel can be consumed immediately. It is not (for me at least) at all nice when a numeric superscript directs me away from the page of the moment to a dungeon near the end of the volume where the endnotes are confined, there to digest the aside while hoping my finger does not slip and leave me dislocated from my place in the main text. Or, alternatively, I sometimes ignore the beckoning superscripts, finish the book, and then try to consume the endnotes en masse.
Why am I venting about this in your esteemed direction? Because your end/footnotes in my view must be take in fresh and so I find myself frantically scrolling up and down from text to note and back a dozen times or so per 'stackery. It is a bit awkward to be frank.
And so I ask: Might the Wizards of Substack have the ability to render the footnote-identifying superscript as a hypertext link taking one in an instant to the location of the note; then perhaps offering at note's end a live "<back>" that would return one to the place in the main text from whence one descended? It would save a lot of scrolling.
If this suggestion is beyond the reach of current technology I shall sigh and muddle as before. But I thought it couldn't hurt to ask.
Respectfully,
If you tap on (iPhone) or hover over (desktop) the superscript number, the footnote will materialize, and when you untap or unhover, it goes away. There is no need for scrolling; the technology is already there and sound.
Wondrous, indeed. Obviously I got spun up for no good reason and for this I apologise. Thanks much for your reply.
Respectfully,
You can’t know that the system’s there/how to work it till you either happily light on it or someone tells you how to work it. But now you know! As ever, B.
Congratulations on being one of today's 10,000!
(For reference: https://xkcd.com/1053 )
I consider a day good if I learn something and nobody got hurt.
Perhaps for a particularly rare quality but not one-of-a-kind, one might use "near-unique"? Or is that overly precious?
It might be a bit much, and I say that as a person who is, habitually, more than a bit much.
Thank you for noting the etymological obscurity of "lounge", which naturally enough sent me scurrying off to read the details. Definitely one of those histories that seems to tell us something about a culture.
When you're in the mood, check the OED to learn why the fancy word for screwing is "fornication".
With regard to note 8, how does the word "penunique" grab you?
I think this is the first photo of Sallie's complete self. She appears more petite than I thought she was, and she has lovely markings. It would indeed be a shame to move her or rearrange her pillows. I, too, cannot write in coffee shops, though I used to try to do so.
She’s a good seventy pounds worth of petite.
Okay, so here's one that comes up for me surprisingly often: More than one still life. As in, "She painted a dozen still lifes last year." Or is it still lives? Obviously "still life paintings" or "still life drawings" gets around it, but sometimes that's awkward.
As I’d guessed before checking, Merriam-Webster offers still lifes (and only still lifes) as the plural. I find that suitable. That is, it’s not the plural of life with a still preceding it. It’s the plural of the whole deal.
Vaguely relatedly, that's why I prefer "gaslighted" (in the sense of what Charles Boyer does to Ingrid Bergman) to "gaslit." The latter is fine for the idea of illumination; the former is a better reflection of the act of gaslighting (and of the title of the thing whence it derives).
What about multi family? Multifamily? Multi-family? Oh god now I’m a rube. What is it?
The hyphenated "multi-family," I note, has narrowed considerably the once formidable lead of "multifamily," but the latter remains ahead. I wouldn't say that "multifamily" is particularly graceful-looking, but it's used a lot and is perfectly readable, so maybe let's save our hyphen for something else?
Clarity is all.
Much appreciated.
This from a person who, when young, persisted in pronouncing the word meNISSerees. Until it became apparent they were referring to a series of limited length. At which point I felt indubitably like a rube.
Your number 4: I have grown accustomed to the idea that I write “antinuclear activist” but “pro-nuclear advocate.” My decision isn’t based on a clear-headed analysis but on observation of how others proceed.