A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Thu Dec 1 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--prodrome X-Bonus: I like talking about things that are taboo because it makes them not taboo anymore. -Sarah Silverman, comedian (b. 1 Dec 1970) This week's theme: Words originating in running prodrome (PROH-drohm) noun An early symptom that indicates the onset of a disease or an episode of something such as a migraine. [From French prodrome (forerunner), from Latin prodromus, from Ancient Greek prodromos, from pro- (before) + dromos (running), which also gave us syndrome, hippodrome https://wordsmith.org/words/hippodrome.html , and palindrome https://wordsmith.org/words/palindrome.html . Earliest documented use: 1611.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/prodrome https://wordsmith.org/words/images/prodrome_large.jpg Image: Migraine Buddy https://migrainebuddy.com/migraine-prodrome-and-migraine-aura/ "Other sufferers experience a migraine prodrome -- a general feeling that a migraine will strike. This usually occurs one or two hours before the headache starts." What's Behind the Pain of Migraines; USA Today (McLean, Virginia); Oct 2000. -------- Date: Fri Dec 2 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--dromomania X-Bonus: The question is whether or not you choose to disturb the world around you, or if you choose to let it go on as if you had never arrived. -Ann Patchett, writer (b. 2 Dec 1963) This week's theme: Words originating in running dromomania (droh-muh-MAY-nee-uh) noun 1. A compulsive desire to travel. 2. An excessive enthusiasm for running. [From AncientAncient Greek dromos (running) + -mania (excessive enthusiasm or craze). Earliest documented use: 1900.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/dromomania_large.jpg Photo: Jeff Moriarty https://flickr.com/photos/moriartys/23816006473/in/photostream/ "Dromomania was his curse. ... Compulsive traveling. Wanderlust." Harlan Ellison; Goodbye to All That; McSweeney's; 2002. -------- Date: Mon Dec 5 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cherubic X-Bonus: Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes, work never begun. -Christina Rossetti, poet (5 Dec 1830-1894) It's that time of the year again when we feature illustrations by the artist Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/ (curiousartlab at gmail.com). As in previous years I gave her some words and she got busy in her studio. Wonder what she'd make of these words, I was thinking. This week you'll see the brilliant art she turned those words into. For previous years see https://wordsmith.org/awad/leah.html . cherubic (chuh-ROO-bik) adjective Having a sweet, innocent appearance. [From cherub https://wordsmith.org/words/cherub.html , from Latin cherubim, from Greek kheroubin, from Hebrew kerubim. Ultimately from the Semitic root krb (to praise). Earliest documented use: 1645.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/cherubic https://wordsmith.org/words/images/cherubic_large.jpg Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/ "I can't help but think how proud I am of the beautiful little boy with the cherubic face as he matures into a fine young man." Rebecca Whitfield-Baker; When the School Bell Chimes for the Last Time; The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia); Oct 30, 2022. -------- Date: Tue Dec 6 00:01:02 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--nidus X-Bonus: I think that I shall never see / A poem lovely as a tree. -(Alfred) Joyce Kilmer, journalist and poet (6 Dec 1886-1918) This week's theme: Illustrated words nidus (NY-duhs) noun plural nidi or niduses 1. A nest. 2. A source or the central point, especially of infection where bacteria or other pathogens breed. [From Latin nidus (nest). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sed- (to sit), which also gave us nest, sit, chair, saddle, assess, sediment, soot, cathedral, tetrahedron, nidifugous (leaving the nest soon after birth) https://wordsmith.org/words/nidifugous.html , and nidicolous https://wordsmith.org/words/nidicolous.html (remaining with parents). Earliest documented use: 1691.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/nidus https://wordsmith.org/words/images/nidus_large.jpg Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/ "The first permanent building was ... the nidus of the new town and the start of tremendous growth." Tracy Conrad; Indio's School Bell to Shine Again as Symbol; The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California); Sep 18, 2022. -------- Date: Wed Dec 7 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pelagic X-Bonus: That is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great. -Willa Cather, novelist (7 Dec 1873-1947) This week's theme: Illustrated words pelagic (puh-LAJ-ik) adjective Relating to or living in the open ocean, far from land. [From Latin pelagicus (of the sea), from Greek pelagos (sea). Ultimately from the Indo-European root plak- (to be flat) which also gave us archipelago https://wordsmith.org/words/archipelago.html , flake, flaw, placate, plead, please, and plank. Earliest documented use: 1656.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pelagic https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pelagic_large.jpg Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/ "Captain Melcott shifted his hands in the rudimentary sign language used by the pelagic mermaids. It was rather different than the much more nuanced one favoured by the coastal merfolk." Celia Lake; Sailor's Jewel; Celia Lake; 2021. -------- Date: Thu Dec 8 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rutilant X-Bonus: There are two kinds of light -- the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures. -James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (8 Dec 1894-1961) This week's theme: Illustrated words rutilant (ROOT-uh-luhnt) adjective Glowing, shining, or glittering with a red or golden light. [From Latin rutilant, present participle of rutilare (to glow red), from rutilus (reddish). Earliest documented use: 1460.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/rutilant_large.jpg Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/ "[Jerome Savary's] shows are so richly staged and choreographed that each time you blink you miss some stage action, and so musically rutilant that you leave the theater slightly dazed." Katherine Knorr; A swingin' Paris of the 40's; International Herald Tribune (Paris, France); Nov 26, 2003. -------- Date: Fri Dec 9 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--tatterdemalion X-Bonus: Nothing so soothes our vanity as a display of greater vanity in others; it makes us vain, in fact, of our modesty. -Louis Kronenberger, writer (9 Dec 1904-1980) This week's theme: Illustrated words tatterdemalion (tat-uhr-di-MAYL-yuhn, -MAL-) adjective: Ragged, tattered. noun: A person in ragged clothes. [From Old Norse toturr (rag). The origin of demalion is uncertain. Earliest documented use: 1608.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/tatterdemalion https://wordsmith.org/words/images/tatterdemalion_large.jpg Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/ "This country's tatterdemalion safety net fails to catch so many in the best of times; the number of people it will let through over the coming months is unfathomable." Thomas Beard; Cut. And Action; Artforum International (New York); Jun 2020. -------- Date: Mon Dec 12 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bibliophagist X-Bonus: Be regular and orderly in your life so that you may be violent and original in your work. -Gustave Flaubert, novelist (12 Dec 1821-1880) Just as temperatures were dipping below freezing (28 deg. F, -2 C), here in the Seattle area, my furnace quit. I looked in Yelp. Called three HVAC companies with five-star reviews. One had appointments available two weeks later, the second the next month, and the third was not taking new customers. Well, I figured, the next few weeks I'll just stay under covers with a bunch of books and catch up on my reading. Will keep the body and the soul warm at the same time. Then I lowered my standards. Called a company that had only four-star reviews. They sent a technician the same afternoon. The guy knew his stuff. Replaced a capacitor and the furnace cranked up again. Warmth spread again. All was well. I handed him a credit card, he gave me a receipt and headed out the door. As he was leaving, he looked at the bookshelves and said, "You have a lot of books." I smiled. Too many or not enough? I thought to myself. Then I said, "Well, I'm a writer and if you are a writer chances are you are a reader too." I wanted to engage him. Ask him the last book he read. His favorite book. Fiction or nonfiction. And more. Then I realized he was on a mission. People were cold and they're waiting for him. I thanked him for fixing the furnace. Then I went back on Yelp and gave him a five-star review. I hope you are staying warm, or cool, depending on what part of the Earth you are on. We recommend books either way, to keep warm or to help cool down. This week we'll feature five words related to books and those who write them, sell them, and read them (or not read them). bibliophagist (bib-lee-AH-fuh-jist) noun One who loves to read books; a bookworm. [From Greek biblio- (book) + -phage (one who eats). Earliest documented use: 1881. Another form of the word is bibliophage.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/bibliphagist_large.jpg Photo: annstheclaf https://flickr.com/photos/annstheclaf/2133766745/ "Birkerts has always been a bibliophagist, from his early days roaming in The Jungle Book and adventuring with the Hardy Boys and James Bond, and he recognizes one of his life's great fortunes -- to be able to read and write both for pleasure and profit." Books for the Ages; Kirkus Reviews (Austin, Texas); Nov 15, 2006. -------- Date: Tue Dec 13 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--prosateur X-Bonus: The walls of books around me, dense with the past, formed a kind of insulation against the present world and its disasters. -Ross Macdonald, novelist (13 Dec 1915-1983) This week's theme: Words related to books prosateur (pro-zuh-TUHR) noun A writer of prose. [From French prosateur (a prose writer), from Italian prosatore, from Latin prosator, from prosa (straightforward). Earliest documented use: 1728.] If you think my prose is bad, just remember ... it could be verse. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/prosateur_large.jpg Image: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/877639046104221468/ "In the end, this increasingly deluded prosateur is writing stories about himself." Michael Dirda; When a Critic Ventures Into Fiction, the Results Are Unpredictable; The Washington Post; Nov 20, 2005. -------- Date: Wed Dec 14 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bibliopole X-Bonus: In its original literal sense, "moral relativism" is simply moral complexity. That is, anyone who agrees that stealing a loaf of bread to feed one's children is not the moral equivalent of, say, shoplifting a dress for the fun of it, is a relativist of sorts. But in recent years, conservatives bent on reinstating an essentially religious vocabulary of absolute good and evil as the only legitimate framework for discussing social values have redefined "relative" as "arbitrary". -Ellen Jane Willis, writer (14 Dec 1941-2006) This week's theme: Words related to books bibliopole (BIB-lee-uh-pohl) noun A bookseller, especially of rare works. [From Latin bibliopola (bookseller), from Greek bibliopoles, biblio- (book) + polein (to sell). Earliest documented use: 1775.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/bibliopole Rare Book Room, Powell's Books, Portland, Oregon https://wordsmith.org/words/images/bibliopole_large.jpg Photo: Jennifer Yang https://flickr.com/photos/pianoforte/40920399163/ "An old London bibliopole ... Heywood Hill has been selling books in Mayfair since 1936, when its catalogue included the first British edition of James Joyce's 'Ulysses'." For the Person Who Has Everything... Bespoke Libraries; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 20, 2014. -------- Date: Thu Dec 15 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--peritext X-Bonus: The universe is made of stories, not of atoms. -Muriel Rukeyser, poet and activist (15 Dec 1913-1980) This week's theme: Words related to books peritext (PER-uh-tekst) noun The material surrounding the main text of a book, such as covers, preface, bibliography, colophon https://wordsmith.org/words/colophon.html , etc. [From Greek peri- (around) + text, from Latin texere (to weave). Ultimately from the Indo-European root teks- (to weave), which also gave us context, texture, tissue, tectonic, architect, technology, subtle, and subtile https://wordsmith.org/words/subtile.html . Earliest documented use: 1977.] NOTES: The word is primarily used with books, but can be applied to other creative works such as films, computer games, etc. A discussion of peritext of "Where the Wild Things Are" https://wherethewildthingsare314.weebly.com/peritext.html "An effusively adulatory introduction from feminist scholar Bechdel and a postscript from Fawkes bookend the illustrated portion and offer insights into Brontë's value as an author and biographical subject, while written descriptions of select source materials function as lengthy citations for the reader who wants to learn more. That's heavy peritext for such a brief graphic novel." Adam McConville; Charlotte Brontë before Jane Eyre by Glynnis Fawkes (review); Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (Baltimore, Maryland); Oct 2019. -------- Date: Fri Dec 16 00:01:16 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bibliophobe X-Bonus: One of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder where you are when you don't come home at night. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist (16 Dec 1901-1978) This week's theme: Words related to books bibliophobe (BIB-lee-uh-fohb) noun A person with a strong aversion to books. [From Greek biblio- (book) + -phobe (one who fears).] Troy, Michigan https://wordsmith.org/words/images/bibliophobe_large.jpg Photo: Dan Pieniak https://flickr.com/photos/dcxdan/5936321916/ Backstory https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-06-29/the-book-burning-campaign-that-saved-a-public-library "While the US is governed by a tempestuous bibliophobe who expresses himself with all-caps and exclamation marks, David Johnston is avuncular and studious." Jonathan Kay; A True Canadian; Johnston Turned Out to Be the Governor General We Needed; National Post (Canada); Jul 22, 2017. https://wordsmith.org/words/avuncular.html -------- Date: Mon Dec 19 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--folkmoot X-Bonus: And the evil is done in hopes that evil surrenders / But the deeds of the devil are burned too deep in the embers / And a world of hunger in vengeance will always remember. -Phil Ochs, folksinger (19 Dec 1940-1976) Talk the talk and walk the walk. No shoulda, coulda, woulda. Keep calm and munch almonds. Folks, you might think we're giving you advice or guidance, but no. We're just trying to avoid a specific sound. Which one? OK, to answer that we have to give in. The L sound. Why? Because No el. Joyeux Noel! This week we feature five words, none of which have that sound. folkmoot (FOK-moot) noun A general assembly of the people of a town, city, county, etc. [From Old English folcmot, from folc (folk) + mot (moot). Earliest documented use: 1513.] No el button https://wordsmith.org/words/images/no_el_button_large.jpg Image: Deb's Digs https://www.zazzle.com/noel_no_l_fun_christmas_pin_button-145292415146849718 "In cases of dispute the folkmoot decides who is worthiest to succeed." Patricia Wright; I Am England; Bodley Head; 1987. -------- Date: Tue Dec 20 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--qualm X-Bonus: If we would have new knowledge, we must get us a whole world of new questions. -Susanne Langer, philosopher (20 Dec 1895-1985) This week's theme: No el qualm (kwam, kwom) noun 1. An uneasy feeling about the rightness of a course of action. 2. A sudden feeling of sickness, faintness, or nausea. [Of uncertain origin. Earliest documented use: 1531.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/qualm No el house https://wordsmith.org/words/images/no_el_house_large.jpg Image: Kyle Gunderson https://www.facebook.com/kgunderson1/videos/10154835019637434 "Justice Samuel Alito, in his majority opinion, had no qualms about focusing his analysis on a period when American women were second class citizens, decades away from winning the right to vote." History Test; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 20, 2022. -------- Date: Wed Dec 21 00:01:04 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pastillage X-Bonus: If there is a God, I don't think He would demand that anyone bow down or stand up to him. -Rebecca West, author and journalist (21 Dec 1892-1983) This week's theme: No el pastillage (PAH-stee-ahj) noun A sugar paste that's molded into shapes and figures for decorating cakes, etc. [From French pastillage (a small figure made of sugar), from pastille (lozenge), from Spanish pastilla (candy), from Latin pasta (dough). Earliest documented use: 1883.] How to Make Bird Wings with Pastillage (screenshot) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pastillage_large.jpg Video: Yeners Way https://youtu.be/N_KJzrNJyno "A wedding cake, covered in a soft ivory fondant, and a series of pale pink camellias, beautifully formed out of pastillage." Linda W. Yezak; Cat Lady's Secret; Harbourlight; 2014. -------- Date: Thu Dec 22 00:01:02 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--psalm X-Bonus: Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time. -Jean-Michel Basquiat, artist (22 Dec 1960-1988) This week's theme: No el psalm (sahm) noun: A sacred poem or song. verb intr.: To sing a poem or song. [From Old English psealm, from Latin psalmus, from Greek psalmos (plucking of strings), from psallein (to pluck). Earliest documented use: c. 450 CE.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/psalm No el animal button https://wordsmith.org/words/images/no_el_animal_button_large.jpg Image: Sandra Boynton https://www.zazzle.com/no_el_no_el_by_sandra_boynton_button-145918481926233384 "I look up at a new commotion, not the usual blackbirds psalming from the unleaved branches." Maureen Duffy; Environmental Studies; Enitharmon; 2013. -------- Date: Fri Dec 23 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pointillage X-Bonus: I've also seen that great men are often lonely. This is understandable, because they have built such high standards for themselves that they often feel alone. But that same loneliness is part of their ability to create. -Yousuf Karsh, portrait photographer (23 Dec 1908-2002) This week's theme: No el pointillage (pwan-tee-YAZH) noun A style of painting in which small dots are applied to the canvas. Also known as pointillism. [From French pointiller (to paint small dots), from Latin punctum (point), from pungere (to prick). Earliest documented use: 1887.] Two Women by the Shore, Mediterranean (1896) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pointillage_large.jpg Art: Henri-Edmond Cross Image: Rawpixel https://flickr.com/photos/vintage_illustration/51914850221/ "A dog's footpads are filled with blood vessels, so he bled significantly during the night, at the same time making the beige carpet in Klaus's spare bedroom into a wall-to-wall pointillage of bloody paw prints." Brad Steel; Mute; Graphos Books; 2005. -------- Date: Mon Dec 26 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--eunoia X-Bonus: If you pray for rain long enough, it eventually does fall. If you pray for floodwaters to abate, they eventually do. The same happens in the absence of prayers. -Steve Allen, television host, musician, actor, comedian, and writer (26 Dec 1921-2000) I'm such an underachiever. I don't have a single world record to my name. Not only that, I have not even _attempted_ one. Make it, underachiever _and_ unambitious. I was reminded of this when I read about a man named Ashrita Furman. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashrita_Furman https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/hall-of-fame/ashrita-furman https://www.ashrita.com/ He has made more than 700 world records. Imagine when the number of records you have made needs to be rounded. To the nearest hundreds! Furman has another record I had not even thought about: Having made the largest number of world records. That makes me: underachiever, unambitious, _and_ unimaginative. Well, more power to him. You have to admire the resolve and tenacity it takes to accomplish something like that while many of us are trying to make a record for the most consecutive evenings spent sitting with a television remote in one hand and a can of beer in the other. As for me, well, I sit here in my corner of the world, playing with words. This week we introduce you to five words that make a record of sorts, let's call them word records. Note: What's a word? That may sound like a straightforward question, but it is not. Based on your definition of "word" you may be able to find other, better candidates, for this week's word records. eunoia (yoo-NOY-uh) noun 1. A feeling of goodwill. 2. A state of good mental health. [From Greek eunoia (well mind), from eu (well, good) + noos (mind, spirit).] NOTES: Eunoia is the shortest word in English with all five vowels. Eunoia by Christian Bök https://amazon.com/dp/1552452255/ws00-20 "But never put away your eunoia -- my conscience says." Jesús de Rodríguez; She Fears; Lulu; 2018. -------- Date: Tue Dec 27 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--scraunch X-Bonus: One does not ask of one who suffers: What is your country and what is your religion? One merely says: You suffer, that is enough for me. -Louis Pasteur, chemist and bacteriologist (27 Dec 1822-1895) This week's theme: Words with world records scraunch or scranch (skrawnch) verb tr. To crunch, crush, or grind. [Of imitative origin. Earliest documented use: 1620.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/scraunch NOTES: The word scraunched is the longest one-syllable word in the English language. "Sancho fell to, without invitation, and champed his bits in the dark, as if he had scraunched knotted cords." Miguel de Cervantes (translation: Thomas Shelton); Don Quixote; 1620. -------- Date: Wed Dec 28 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--limnophilous X-Bonus: Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly. -Rose Franken, author and playwright (28 Dec 1895-1988) This week's theme: Words with world records limnophilous (lim-NOF-uh-luhs) adjective Fond of or living in inland bodies of water such as lakes, pools, etc. [From Greek limne (lake) + -philous (liking). Earliest documented use: 1855.] NOTES: The word limnophilous is one of the few words in English that have four consecutive letters of the alphabet in a row. Some everyday words are understudy and overstuff. "Limnophilous species can obtain CO2 in acidic waters and/or from sediments and most lakes worldwide are CO2 supersaturated." Donat-P Häder & Kunshan Gao (eds.); Aquatic Ecosystems in a Changing Climate; CRC Press; 2018. -------- Date: Thu Dec 29 00:01:03 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pharmacopoeia X-Bonus: The most perfect technique is that which is not noticed at all. -Pablo Casals, cellist, conductor, and composer (29 Dec 1876-1973) This week's theme: Words with world records pharmacopoeia or pharmacopeia (far-muh-kuh-PEE-uh) noun 1. A book listing approved drugs and related information. 2. A stock of drugs. [From Greek pharmakon (drug) + poiein (to make). Earliest documented use: 1618.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pharmacopoeia NOTES: The word pharmacopoeia has four vowels in a row. Some other words with four vowels in a row are obsequious https://wordsmith.org/words/obsequious.html and onomatopoeia https://wordsmith.org/words/onomatopoeia.html . The word queueing has five vowels in a row, but then you don't want us to feature an everyday word here. "Shortly you can read about it in my pharmacopoeia. ... I have enlisted the city's best physics and barbers to work with me to assemble a book of reliable medicinal treatments. ... I'm on a crusade to wipe out quackery." Nina Siegal; The Anatomy Lesson; Nan A. Talese; 2014. -------- Date: Fri Dec 30 00:01:02 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--oxygeusia X-Bonus: In religion, faith is a virtue. In science, faith is a vice. -Jerry Coyne, biology professor (b. 30 Dec 1949) This week's theme: Words with world records oxygeusia (ok-see-GOO/GYOO-zee/zhee-uh, -zhuh) noun An acute sense of taste. [From Greek oxy- (sharp) + -geusia (taste). Earliest documented use: 1848.] NOTES: Oxygeusia is the shortest word with all six vowels (including the sometime-vowel y). The opposite is hypogeusia, (a diminished sense of taste) https://wordsmith.org/words/hypogeusia.html which also has all six vowels, but is one letter longer. A complete lack of taste is ageusia. Example: People who like to cover everything around them in fake gold show their ageusia. "Don't you see, Watson? If the thief had oxygeusia as he had claimed, he wouldn't have partaken of so much of that bland corn at the supper. Can you believe it, six bowel movements?" Anu Garg, channeling Arthur Conan Doyle; The Adventure of Slivered Maize; 2022.