Tinction

According to Collins Dictionary (a publication I confess I do not favour; for historical authority, give me Oxford every time, and for contemporary, Chambers), these words have fallen into desuetude and should be regarded as extinct:

wittol
drysalter
aerodrome
cyclogiro
charabanc
supererogate
succedaneum
woolfell

Some of these I have never heard or seen, and am prepared to accept their judgement (a wittol is a man who knows of his wife's infidelity and submits to it: probably from wittal, a bird in whose nest a cuckoo lays its eggs; succedaneum is a substitute, something used in the place of something else), but others - well. Charabanc and cyclogiro are particular kinds of transport; the machines may be redundant, but we do still need the words. Aerodrome is the word I grew up with; I have had to train myself to say airport instead. If a word was current less than fifty years ago, I think it's premature to call it obsolete now. My childhood hasn't gone away, it's just moved further off. And supererogatory is a word I use, currently and without apology; and drysalter and woolfell are words that I have instantly battened onto and intend to use forthwith. Collins, I defy thee...

Keeping an eye on what's what

Over on the Solaris editors' blog, one may find a Solaris writer: Juliet E McKenna of that ilk, commenting with insight on urban fantasy. She is, I think, particularly insightful about Desdaemona...

Oh me of little faith

I spent all morning alternately fighting this book, which was suddenly being both difficult and dull; and watching the cricket scores, which meant watching India accumulate runs and come closer and closer to saving the match. By the time I gave up both activities in disgust and despair, odds would have been on a draw.

So I left the library at 2.15; by the time I was home, ninety minutes later, I was only just in time to catch the final wicket as India collapsed and England won by an innings.

So there was that. Also, the walk home was largely mapped by moments of my going "oh - I know why that other girl's in the room!" and "see what happens as a result!" and "oh - that means it's good to fetch a doctor! And I have the exact right one in the wings! A reason for him at last!" and so forth.

Though I still didn't get to write half as much as I wanted. Well, not more than half. This is going to be a short week anyway; I hate starting it with a short day. But I'm tired. 1560 words, and:

 

41578 / 80000 words. 52.0% done!