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#12875 12/17/00 11:45 PM
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Hi again, of troy. I trust that it is OK to apply that tag to you - I find that your mum and dad's first rubric for you would disqualify this post from participating in your quiz. My first qualifying post was short - six or so words only. I thought I should try a post with many words so that I truly grasp how difficult it is to do it without violation. I find that it is fascinating to try this task without compromising my post's flavour, or causing awkward syntax, as tsuwm said in a prior submission. I don't think that I am doing particularly brilliantly right now. I do think, though, that if an author was to try this a lot, truly with application, that said difficulty and artificiality of wording would diminish and that this man or woman (or boy or girl) would start to know a lot of common handy substitutions and sayings.

I find that I am using - a tad too much?- a lookup list to aid in substitution of "good" words for words that do not qualify. It is amazing how that tricky fifth symbol lurks around, just waiting for an opportunity to spring forth and show his dial, much to my chagrin. Notwithstanding all my caution, it is with timidity and worry that I am composing this. I think that I will now run this story through a symbol-locating computing application - if you catch my drift - to confirm that it will in fact satisfy all conditions laid down by you and that it will obtain your approval.

Having said all that, this rambling submission is on a topic of my choosing, a topic on which I can adopt any standpoint. It would call for worthy - and wordy - skill to do this on a random topic laid down by a third party, to wit - massaging into conformity a story by a famous author. Or, say, with an additional strain of doing it within a particular chronological slot.

That's all that I am going to say in this post. I wish to finish by saying that I am actually warming to of troy's task and I think I could go on in this fashion for many paragraphs, but I will now pass this opportunity on to additional pundits of our AWADtalk community.


Whoa!



The idiot also known as Capfka ...
#12876 12/18/00 07:23 AM
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But, can anybody surpass a lipogrammic work of fiction in 50,000 words which first saw publication in 1939, brainchild of an author who must stay anonymous in this location? Should you wish to find inspiration in his labours, ask your local librarian for "Gadsby" by Wright.

It was Triphiodorus, a bard living 2500 springs and autumns ago, who sang of actions of humans and gods in 24 lipogrammic books all of which omit a symbol, varying from book to book.

Both authors I inform you of in my paragraphs brought forth works long prior to PC tools. On your honour, how far can you go towards surpassing said works without using such tools as a vocabulary aid? I got this far without consulting any aids of that sort but how long can I allow for this sort of frivolity? Not, alas, as much as I would wish. My boss would, I am afraid, show his disapproval, although I am not in fact outstandingly busy right now.

My strain not just in omitting our taboo symbol, but in finding topics to discuss, is starting to show I think. How humiliating to admit that now I say nothing, having nothing to say.

I will not allow failing as a possibility, but will do my utmost to inflict my ramblings on you all. It now occurs to what I might laughingly call my mind, that for you who still follow my ramblings, Jakarta is unknown, as unknown as my own history.

My origin is in Holtspur (my county is Bucks., which is not too far from London, capital of Britain, if your atlas is not to hand) but am now found in Jakarta, capital of a tropical country lying South of Asia and North of Australia (I think you know what island nation I am going on about and why it must stay anonymous). Prior to coming to Jakarta, I was in Surabaya, Bandung, and Banjarmasin (again, consult your atlas if you do not know how to find said towns).

I work (but not all day) in a law firm and I put writings going from this firm to folks ignorant of this country's hoard of words and grammar into a good form of what is now, I would say, our world's lingua franca. Too many hours a day go on AWAD's board, but linguistics and books form my joy.

Jakarta, capital city of this country, has a big population, and pollution is a major difficulty. It is on Java's North coast and is thus tropical in humidity, and hot.

If I'm boring you, you can turn for fascination to outpourings not from this author if you wish, but as an official addict I find it hard to know if I should stop, or actually I know I should stop but I can't.

Can I actually go on in this fashion until I vanquish Mr. Wright? I doubt it and so will finish at this point with 1% of his total, signing off as (my ID will not disallow all my hard work thus far, I trust):


Bingley


Bingley
#12877 12/18/00 08:44 AM
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As a general aside from this verbal feast of linguistic self-gratification, self-abuse and self-flagellation, I would comment on the import and impact of the following excerpt from the didactic diatribe imposed on the fair, unfair and downright mean citizens of this august board of linguiphilic lollygaggers by one Bingley, resident in that hotbed of English language study, Jakarta, capital of the former Dutch East Indies and now known as Indonesia: It was Triphiodorus, a bard living 2500 springs and autumns ago, who sang of actions of humans and gods in 24 lipogrammic books all of which omit a symbol, varying from book to book.

No, those weren't the Barrymore assets that the panel padre and I were discussing. Try again.



The idiot also known as Capfka ...
#12878 12/18/00 08:18 PM
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of troy Offline OP
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Tis capital of you, kiwi, to join the fun– but it was a bust! If you can't join in spirit–stay sub rosa--

I am unworthy- this topic has brought forth such a flow of words, and I know about all of you, who click on the listing.. And fail to try.


#12879 12/19/00 03:06 AM
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Wow, C.K., speaking of diatribes--you got everybody with that one, though mostly Bingley. According to your post, everybody on the board is either fair, unfair, or downright mean, and poor Bingley is accused of linguistic self-gratification, self-abuse and self-flagellation; and of "imposing" didactic diatribe on all of us
"lollygaggers". Pretty strong words, my friend.
Bingley never does anything like this, and I think it's a shame that he got shot down the one time he decides to have some fun.


#12880 12/19/00 03:15 AM
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No, no, no, Jackie, Helen - read it again. Bingley was not accused of anything of the kind. I was referring to all of us, including me! Effectively, I was trying to say that we work the board because we like it even when it hurts.

I should have put a in, because I was laughing when I wrote it. (I must put a smile in, I must put a smile in, x 100).

Apologies to Bingley if I've offended you. It was not intentional. I don't want to offend anyone. Well ... no one on the board, anyway.



The idiot also known as Capfka ...
#12881 12/19/00 03:26 AM
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I don't want to offend anyone.

Glad to hear it, Sweetie! I knew that wasn't like you.


#12882 12/19/00 08:46 AM
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Six plus six posts into this string and I still did not know what was going on. Curiosity got worst of who-I-am. A hush-hush post to of troy asking what this string was about - duh! Of thousand ships said don't hit that which follows "d". I thought I would pitch in my two coins worth. And I am trying… How many words did I do? Six plus six plus six plus two plus four. Is that all? Marty and Darcy's pal - how did you do so much?


#12883 12/19/00 10:14 AM
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I can't think of a hot drink that is not taboo.

If it's hot you can drink cocoa. Or o-cha from Japan. Or soup. (Is soup a libation? What is a libation? On writing this word I find I'm thinking of sacrificial ritual. Am I off-track or on-track?))

My moral is - do not allow your mind to fail, or to slack in its striving, too soon. Pass just a mo' or two in thought and you will find a solution to fit almost all occasions.

I would go on, but work constraints insist I simply go...

( That was FUN!)

AND.... no artificial aids! Smug? I admit it, I am! But I did look hard and oft for any slips in this posting. Did I miss any?

..must go, or soon I'll find I'm thrown out...


#12884 12/19/00 11:23 AM
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I was going to say cocoa as a hot drink, but a co-linguist has got to it first. Cocoa is good and chocolaty at any hour, hot or cold, but don't mix it with your soup or you'll find it has put an odd flavour in your cup or mug, and your mouth!

A truly famous lipogrammatic roman of not that long ago is La disparition, by a Frank, mayhap a Parisian, with initials G.P., and put into good old Anglo-Saxon by a Mr G. Adair as A Void. An amusing story though it can flag if you go on too long with it.


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