Category Archives: words

How Clever Is Your Cleaver?

Posted on July 2, 2026 by JE

I was reading Dougan’s commentary on Cicero’s Tusculan Disputations, which is a perfectly normal thing to do, and at one point (ad 1.49.118) he suggested that the English word clever is derived from deliver. “Interesting, if true,” I thought, and … Continue reading →

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Those Crazy Cats

Posted on June 6, 2026 by JE

I was reading Cicero’s Tusculan Disputations, which is a perfectly normal thing to do, and he quoted a line from Ennius, to make some point he thought needed making: egregie cordatus homo, catus Aelius Sextus “Why is he calling Aelius … Continue reading →

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Echoes of Wuruyaaria

Posted on June 3, 2026 by JE

Still reading Lucian, and came across a great new-to-me Greek verb: ὠρύομαι (oh-ROO-o-mai). It means (and sounds like) “to howl” (as a wolf or dog). It comes up in conversation between Hermes, who is conducting a party of ghosts to … Continue reading →

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“Ixnay on the Ocodilecray!” Lucian Against the Paradoctors

Posted on June 1, 2026 by JE

I’ve been reading a lot of Lucian lately, for reasons that are difficult to explain; maybe I’ll write something about that when I figure it out. But I am finding that he reads better in Greek than he does in … Continue reading →

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Of Men and Mollusks

Posted on December 30, 2025 by JE

Came across this choice bit of abuse this afternoon: πλεύμονα αὐτὸν ἐκάλει καὶ ἀγράμματον καὶ ἀπατεῶνα καὶ πόρνον.—Diogenes Laertius 10.8 I render this as: “He <Epicurus> calls him <Democritus> a mollusk and an illiterate and a cheat and a whore.” … Continue reading →

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Et Thew, Brute?

Posted on November 7, 2025 by JE

Some discussion of thews and thewbilation in the Sword and Sorcery Tavern on Discord made me curious about the etymology of thew. I consulted my friend, the democratic AHD, and it hit me in the face with this. Did not … Continue reading →

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CW: Trumpolatry

Posted on August 13, 2025 by JE

Many things about Trumpism are disgusting, but there’s a specific kind of abject ecstacy in Trumpolatry that is really repulsive. “It’s like something from Tacitus,” I always think. Today I ran across the quote I’d been not-quite remembering. clamor vocesque … Continue reading →

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Deus Ex Homine: Brackett’s THE SWORD OF RHIANNON and Zelazny’s ISLE OF THE DEAD

Posted on August 10, 2025 by JE

I’ve been following with interest Steven Silver’s great series of reviews of the Tor Double books at the Black Gate. His latest, scrupulously fair, review of Brackett’s The Sword of Rhiannon+de Camp’s Divide and Conquer reminded me of one of … Continue reading →

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Water We Fighting For?

Posted on July 31, 2025 by JE

Typo of the day: Tuhursday (for an intended Thursday). Easily fixed, but now I’m wondering who Tuhur was. Mr. Internet tells me it’s a Sundanese word meaning “dry”. Maybe Tuhur was the archenemy of that Wonder Twin who turned into … Continue reading →

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The Truth About Clowns and Elves

Posted on July 1, 2025 by JE

Not trying to subtweet anyone, particularly my students, whose papers I’m wading my way through. But I’ve had a lot of occasion today to think about the identification of “great” with “first/inventor”. If some creator/creation is a a great example … Continue reading →

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