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Usually I’m Anthony Trollope, but not this week

In previous pieces I have mentioned Universal Knowledge, with the understanding that there isn’t much of it, and that some people’s idea of what is universally known is very different from other people’s ideas. Porlock, Battleship Potemkin, Cargo Cult: I never assume that these terms are familiar to friends and family. And the same goes… Continue reading Usually I’m Anthony Trollope, but not this week

Reading

Looking for things in books, and not quite remembering

I would like to have a Kindle (or other eReader) with all the books that I have ever read, for search purposes. Then I could search through the entire collection and know that I’ll find the reference I’m looking for. This option, to search through my entire collection, is available on my Kindle 1.0 (with… Continue reading Looking for things in books, and not quite remembering

Reading · Word of the week

Word of the week: synecdoche

“Nice wheels”: that’s a synecdoche, the one I use most. It’s when you use part of an object to describe the whole. I use “Nice wheels” to mean “Nice car”, or even “Nice bicycle” or “Nice scooter” when talking to children about their vehicles. You’re not commenting on the wheels themselves: you’re complimenting the whole… Continue reading Word of the week: synecdoche