Being an author is like being in charge of your own personal insane asylum.

- Graycie Harmon

Monday, January 31, 2011

GAH!

Good morning!

I had a lovely weekend, but I have no time to tell you about it. I have something that needs to be handed in today - a day late.

I'm an idiot! I hate it when I don't get things in on time... other people are counting on it! I'm so mad at myself.

I'll tell you about the weekend tomorrow. 'Till then, here's today's Forgotten English word/phrase:

Inkhorn Terms:

Pedantic expressions which "smell of the lamp."
- Ebenezer Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, 1898

Can anyone tell me what "smell of the lamp" might mean?

Must dash. Have a great day!

2 comments:

KuietKelticGirl said...

I love google....

http://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/brewers/smells-lamp.html

and

http://bogwitch64.livejournal.com/271496.html

I'm sure I'm wrong, but it almost sounds like a bit of a slur against poets getting high on lamp fumes and creating flowing phrases stuffed full of unnecessary words...

But finally, a wiki that helps make the whole thing make sense:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inkhorn_term

Oh, and apparently, Happy St. John Bosco's Day!

S.M. Carrière said...

Brilliant! Thanks!

Oh yes! St. John Bosco, the patron saint of editors. Lord knows they need some looking after!