Dive in, splash around, skim and dip and spout about the latest quotations, metaphors, words and, of course, triologisms. You’ll feel better for it!
Nonsense daubers
Folly, speaking from her light-hearted pulpit, lays into another bunch of self-serious fools, those who write books, or as she puts it, 'daub pure...
Unexpected ignorance, unexpected knowledge
Maggie Tulliver is a girl whose brightness and spirit are constantly curtailed and nearly crushed. Throughout her childhood she is...
Today’s diary entry
Always curious about the habits of journal writing and the choices people make in the materials they use, I liked the detailed...
Love bade me…
One of the most beautiful English poems, of great simplicity and generosity, by George Herbert. Much of his poetry is religious but his...
The history of books
An idea so intrinsic to reading books, particularly those you love and remember, that I had never consciously thought of it. Here,...
Close to your heart
I've heard of people keeping letters, including under their pillow, but never one permanently about your person. This letter from the...
A quote to note
Drawing on thousands of sparkling, moving and inspiring quotations amassed during decades of attentive reading. To delight your mind and spirit and improve your presentations beyond belief.
Those interfering newbies
From Rory Stewart's trek across the Marches, the region of Britain aligned with Hadrian's Wall. One of the charms of his account is...
A singing map
I loved this idea, using a song to guide you in lieu of a map. From one of Rory Stewart's long treks, one across Afghanistan (and...
The deciding moment
Rory Stewart was offered a large dog who seemed to have a few health and other 'issues'. I like that his decision to take the dog seems...
Never look a gift dog in the mouth
This is the beginning of a wonderful tail of a man and a dog, with Rory Stewart being unable to resist the dog offered to him on his...
Metaphorically speaking
More marvelous metaphors on Mondays … Monday, metaphor day.
As open as …
A limpid simile for being open and transparent. If only more people were like Maggie Tulliver, although it can be said that her openness...
As gentle and powerful as …
An unusual pairing of adjectives and a surprising simile to embrace both. 'No thundering from a pulpit, no condemnation from bad...
As secular as…
A refreshing simile, surprising in its flavour, likening secularity to ice cream. 'Father saw himself as part of the New India - rich,...
As rooted as…
A good simile for a certain rugged tenacity, in this case referring to the nascent Christian community as it emerged from being a...
Triologisms
Bringing you pithy, evocative imagery in the form of three-legged microcosms of meaning. Updated on Tuesdays … Tuesday, triologism day! You’ll never see this day of the week in the same way again.
Foam-flecked sea
A fine rhythm to this triologism, and a vivid image. This is Lady Folly speaking, in praise of herself and all the bountiful things she brings to...
Wonder-working juice
A Greek myth concerning a wonder-working juice which confers immortality. However, when asking that Tithonus be granted eternal life...
Well-lubricated gods
Wise, merry Folly laughs off the boozy behaviour of tanked-up gods, treating them like so many party-animal adolescents. From Erasmus'...
Seneca the Stoic
Erasmus' triologism to describe Seneca as a dyed in the wool Stoic. I prefer the alliteration of 'double-dyed'. 'Seneca, that...
Honeyed hope
Sounds lovely, although Erasmus uses it to refer to the hare-brained gold, elixir or immortality quests of alchemists. One more class...
Bleary-eyed scholars
Erasmus' book was exuberantly subversive towards the entire intellectual and clerical class to which he belonged. A bestseller during...
Words
Sharing words that sparkle, appeal, intrigue or otherwise grab me, including those in other languages. And adoring alliteration, new words will be added on Wednesdays… Wednesday, word day. See you back here then.
Cumbrian sheep counting
Rory Stewart came across these numerals, apparently still used to count sheep by Cumbrian farmers. They trot off the tongue like spring...
Of farsang places
A measure of distance which has an echo of 'farflung', though no direct connection. It means one day's walk or journey, or a day's...
Dang useful
Dang handy for walkabout, this is a Punjabi word for 'walking stick or staff'. Rory Stewart carried one as he strode through India,...
Syzygy
This astronomical word has always fascinated me, not so much for its meaning as its consonants and repetition. My handwriting includes...
Cockatrice
Drury tells us that 'according to Pliny and alchemical tradition, this was a mythical serpent, coiled and fiery, perversely hatched from...
Concinnity
The OED describes this as a 'skilful and harmonious adaptation or fitting together of parts; harmony, congruity, consistency'. The...
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