Saturday, May 19, 2007
Rhyming slang
I'm reading a book by one of my favorite bloggers (The China Girl by John Baker), detailed reactions to which will follow when I'm done. In the meantime I must mention that he forges phrases and puts a few words together in some ways that are startling and quite lovely. Not banging you over the head literateur-ly, just spot on. It's requiring self-control for me not to gulp the book down way too fast but I don't want to miss anything, not to mention lose the pleasure of relishing it. 'Course, I'm dying to know who's done what and why. Patience.
Meanwhile, a side note on rhyming slang. I've always loved its construction's wit and slight of hand (so to speak). Then, the other day, one of t2cgitw invented some "teen" numbers (e.g., bubbleteen, skyteen, mommyteen, grassteen, etc.). I figure that anybaby toddler who makes jokes about words deserves to hear rhyming slang. So up the mental apples and pears to make a few of my own. And I welcome any suggestions.
Meanwhile, a side note on rhyming slang. I've always loved its construction's wit and slight of hand (so to speak). Then, the other day, one of t2cgitw invented some "teen" numbers (e.g., bubbleteen, skyteen, mommyteen, grassteen, etc.). I figure that any
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| posted by jau at 8:34 AM
jau — at 1:16 PM, May 20, 2007:
— at 9:47 PM, May 20, 2007:
| posted by jau at 8:34 AM
3 more:
jau — at 1:16 PM, May 20, 2007:
That concise little essay is a perfect example of why I am so glad to have "met" you, Ligneus. I agree with you about Margaret Atwood but no one (including me) has put it so perfectly.
(I'm going to have to write about Sylvia Plath one of these days, just to elicit your reactions to her.)
(I'm going to have to write about Sylvia Plath one of these days, just to elicit your reactions to her.)
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— at 9:47 PM, May 20, 2007:
I appreciate your kind words but really I don't have a lot of confidence in some of my opinions, but I throw them out there and if someone smarter than I am tells me where I'm wrong then I learn something. [Assuming I agree with their assessment!] So I'm pleased you agree with me on Atwood, I've upset several Canadian friends with my views on MA, inc one who owns a bookstore selling rare and used books with the wonderful name of Janet Inksetter. She has many friends in the literary world including Margaret Atwood's sister!
I met her a few times, very nice person.
I met her a few times, very nice person.
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I suspect he's right about Margaret Attwood but I'm prejudiced against her. My daughter when in high school was complaining about The Handmaid's Tale [I almost wrote tail!] saying it was boring, so I decided to read it with a view to helping her. Hated it, it had some good sentences but was derivative, had a contrived plot, a simplistic view of where we are headed and there was that mysterious little proverb scratched on the jail cell wall as if she'd thought of it.
I remember it from my factory working days in England as 'Nil Desperandum Carborundum' or 'Never Let the Bastards Grind You Down'. I tried her 'poetry' too, just too awful to bother writing about.
I think of her as an intellectual writer with no soul and no artistry. One of those writers who get boosted by the incestuous literary establishment in Canada because they have so few great writers and because they are seriously lacking in judgement, preferring a template that lays out what constitutes a good writer.
So there!
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