Monthly Archives: April 2023

Grades Are In…

and the doctor is out!

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Early Bloomer

One of the weirder characters in the saga I’m reading is a guy named Vagn Ákason, a sort of medieval Neoptolemus. He killed 3 men by the time he was 9. When he was 12, he commanded two pirate ships … Continue reading

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Auto Incorrect

“As a pallette cleanser—” “Palate.” “As a pallet cleanser—” “Palate.” “As a plate cleanser—” “Palate. Like, in your mouth.” “I DO NOT HAVE A PALLET IN MY MOUTH!” “‘Forget / we ever met.’”

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Don’t Put an Otch in My Nadder!

Apparently English notch arises from a word-division error due to the English movable n: it wasn’t originally a notch, it was an otch (cf. French oche “a notch”). So says the AHD and the tyrant OED. This is analogous to … Continue reading

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Pointing Toward the End

Wearing my grading face (which strongly resembles Mung making the Sign of Mung).

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Viking-Era Marriage

A pleasingly domestic line in the saga I’m currently reading (which is mostly about war and killing). Ráðahagr Áka stendr með miklum blóma.—Jómsvíkinga Saga 17“Áka stands marriage with great bloom.” That’s the kind of marriage to have. I hope Þórgunn … Continue reading

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Joans Against the Moon Men

I misread a student’s handwriting and thought they had written “Prester Joan” (instead of “Prester John”). Now I can’t stop thinking of Prester Joan teaming up with Pope Joan to, I don’t know, conquer the moon or something. [edited to … Continue reading

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IT’S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!

Thank God. This has been a rough semester (for personal more than academic reasons: my pancreas trying to kill me in January and Lennie’s death in April).

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Rule 34

Below is an unmoderated comment on the previous entry. Poor Lydia: an internet full of porn and she has to touch herself thinking about me.

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Vintage Archaeology

Emlyn Dodd has a nice piece up today at The Conversation about a newly excavated winery from the later Roman Empire. The property originally belonged to the Quintilii brothers, and then became part of the emperor’s holdings after Commodus had … Continue reading

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