Disorder of a Man of Letters — Xah's Belles-lettres
from the haughty emotions of English lexicon, stylistic concerns, decipherment of grammar ＆ idioms, linguisticality, literature, and logicality.
The Time Machine, and the Dark Nature of Human Animals
“The Time Traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us”
This is a story, where human animals are bred and eaten, by other human animals.
most illustrations of H G Well's Time Machine show a machanical contraption. This illustration, shows the story.
but uncomfortable pic like this is not marketable. But pic of time contraption, tickles peope.
Time Machine, tells a dark human nature. Similar story is Lord of the Flies. Lord of the Flies
and, then, what's real nature of human animals? we have Biological Anthropologist tell us. Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence
why capitalize author names?
quite annoying that some publications (online) capitalize author names, all parts. like, By XAH LEE. What's the frigging point? ( nytimes.com and wsj.com )
time to dig those style guides. Answer must be there somewhere. But no, no time for those idiotic guides of guilds.
〔➤see The Writing Style of Xah Lee〕
Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World (added navigation panel)
the Barbarism of Specialization (philosophy) (by Jose Ortega Y Gasset) (updated.)
Xah Wordy English (home page redesign)
new navigation panel.
new navigation panel.
new navigation panel.
new navigation panel on the side.
Hendiatris as Rule of Three? and the Crumbling of Linguistica Logica
Madam, I am most apt to embrace your offer.
Diane Kruger's French Accent Gets Her Out of Trouble Everytime
Sorcerer, daughter, illusion, The Tempest…
The Tempest Sorcerer, daughter, illusion, tempest… Does charm my way. 😈
This song by Laurie Anderson
features part of The Tempest called “Ariel's Song” - the place where we got the phrase “sea change”:
Full fathom five thy father lies; Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes; Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange.
thanks to John Baez. https://plus.google.com/+XahLee/posts/TQXfP4N9HoQ
Shakespeare's Titus, now with navigation panel.
A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus:
- 1. What am I trying to say?
- 2. What words will express it?
- 3. What image or idiom will make it clearer?
- 4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?”
— George Orwell
etymology of “redoutable”
late 14c., from Old French redoutable (12c.), from redouter "to dread," from re-, intensive prefix, + douter "be afraid of" (see doubt (v.)).
- quash
- incipient
- vacillant
- avulse
- fugacious
- fractious
- hightail
- abscond
- avarice
- alacrity
- inveigled
- salubrious
British accent, “i'm not fat and gutty”
“i'm not fat and gutty”
gutty = 1. an urchin or delinquent 2. a low-class person.
but a friend told me it just means not having a potbelly in the context of the video.
The Arabian Nights (now with side navigation panel)
Alaeddin; Or, The Wonderful Lamp (now with side navigation panel)
Infinite Jest, Auto-Killed
there's a novel named Infinite Jest, 1996, by David Foster Wallace.
In 2005 it was included by Time magazine in its list of the 100 best English-language novels published since 1923.
The author, David Foster Wallace (1962 – 2008), killed himself, at age 46. Reason was depression.
linguistics, Chinese language, and scifi
who is Ted Chiang?
so, The New Yorker recently ran a article titled Bad Character, by Ted Chiang.
it is a lame repetition on how chinese should be alphabetized.
i was thinking, has The New Yorker gone so low to publish a article of blatant ignorance? Or, as a novelty to its US American readers?
then i thought, perhaps the author, just want to bring up an old topic for thought.
looking up, seems Ted Chiang is a well-known scifi writer. Who's he?
I read 〈War and Peace〉 in 20 minutes.
〔Sorry, You Can't Speed Read By Jeffrey M Zacks And Rebecca Treiman. @ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/17/opinion/sunday/sorry-you-cant-speed-read.html〕
and, a decade ago: On Speed Reading