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Posted By: Bingley biblioclasm - 08/18/05 04:49 AM
I am currently reading Library by Matthew Battles. He uses the word 'biblioclasm', meaning a mass destruction of books, and says in the endnotes that he found this word in a work published in the year 2000 by somebody called Martin Kern and says:

... his work also introduced me to the very useful word word "biblioclasm" (which seems his own coinage).

However, on googling biblioclasm, I found this:

"Biblioclasm," which the Oxford English Dictionary defines as the deliberate destruction of books, a cultural offense of the first magnitude.

http://www.nicholasbasbanes.com/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=18

Could someone with an OED check the history of this word, please?

Bingley
Posted By: tsuwm Re: biblioclasm - 08/18/05 05:44 AM
[f. BIBLIO- + Gr. klasmos breaking.]

Destruction of books, or of the Bible. biblioclast (-klaist, -ĉ-) [Gr. klasths breaker], a destroyer of books, or of the Bible. Also biblioclastic a. (Little more than nonce-words.)

1864 T. GRIFFITH Plea Scripture 8 The Biblioclasm of the ‘higher criticism.’ 1880 BLADES Enemies Bks. 96 Such a wicked old biblioclast as John Bagford. 1884 Athenĉum 7 June 724 Made bonfires of the Maya and Aztec manuscripts..May these bishops expiate their crimes in the purgatory of biblioclasts! 1887 Longman's Mag. Dec. 239 The biblioclastic dead.


(I hope I got the Gr. transletteration closer this time..)

Posted By: Bingley Re: biblioclasm - 08/18/05 05:54 AM
Thank you, tsuwm, I knew I could rely on you.

Bingley
Posted By: TEd Remington Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/18/05 08:53 AM
"Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Connelly says she likes to read during sex. Jennifer, 35, told Esquire magazine: 'I usually don't like to multi-task. I can't read a book and run on the treadmill; I don't like to be on the phone and play with the kids. But during sex, I like to read.'"

Could it have been bibliogasm?

Posted By: Elizabeth Creith Re: Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/18/05 10:47 AM
TEd, I really hope you made this up!

Posted By: TEd Remington Re: Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/18/05 11:16 AM
Nope. Come on, E II, you know I don;t make up anything. Well, not often. Well, maybe sorta often. But not ALWAYS. And definitely not this time.

Posted By: belMarduk Re: Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/18/05 07:16 PM
If Jennifer Connolly is reading during sex, she's evidently never experienced a -gasm of any sort. I'm just saying.

Posted By: inselpeter Re: Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/18/05 10:47 PM
>>If Jennifer Connolly<<

Clearly, *you* have never laid eyes on a true bookworm.

Posted By: Zed Re: Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/18/05 10:54 PM
Maybe it's an instruction manual.

Posted By: Bingley Re: Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/19/05 02:14 AM
Tristram Shandy complains that his parents were not paying sufficient attention at his begetting because:

Pray, my dear, quoth my mother, have
you not forgot to wind up the clock ? ----
Good G -- ! cried my father, making an
exclamation, but taking care to moderate
his voice at the same time, ---- Did ever
woman, since the creation of the world, in-
terrupt a man with such a silly question?


http://www.tristramshandyweb.it/home.htm

Afterthought: So perhaps Ms. Connolly's future children will blame their criminal tendencies on the fact that she was reading Agatha Christie rather than War and Peace at their begetting.


Bingley
Posted By: Alex Williams Re: Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/19/05 01:04 PM
To read of such blase conjugal behavior by the comely Ms Connelly induces in me a deep feeling of dismay that I can only liken to the feeling a man would experience if, upon looking over a shiny red Ferrari, he were told it was equipped with a governor that limited its speed to 35 mph. Then again, driving a Ferrari even at 35 mph would be an experience not without some enjoyment.

Posted By: belMarduk Re: Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/19/05 01:35 PM
Maybe it's an instruction manual.

As in, put peg A into slot B ????


Posted By: inselpeter Re: Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/19/05 02:54 PM
>>to read of such behavior<<

If you followed her example and read about it in bed you might find that...never mind.

Posted By: TEd Remington Re: Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/19/05 03:30 PM
Or a doggie training manual?

Posted By: Father Steve Re: Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/19/05 04:01 PM
When Jackie gets here and reads all of this, you all are REALLY going to get it.

Posted By: Alex Williams Re: Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/19/05 07:34 PM
Well shoot, I'm just discussing sports cars...

Posted By: belMarduk Re: Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/19/05 07:34 PM
TEd started it. TEd started it. A bad influence that man, I say.

Posted By: Elizabeth Creith Re: Are you sure of the spelling? - 08/20/05 09:25 AM
Maybe it's an instruction manual.

As in, put peg A into slot B ????

Maybe Ms Connolly's partner needs a little brush-up on technique? (Maybe a private tutor?)

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