JACOBITES. Sham or collar shirts. Also partizans for the Stuart family: from the name of the abdicated king, i.e. James or Jacobus. It is said by the whigs, that God changed Jacob's name to Israel, lest the descendants of that patriarch should be called Jacobites.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
A one-day #sciencefiction convention in Perth – a chance to talk about #books, #games, #films etc. with an emphasis on #Scottish writers. Guest of honour Francesca Barbini, founder of Luna Press
Eight years ago, a woman named Laurene asked writer Richard Kelly Kemick to finish her late husband's novel, a book he had planned to finish upon retirement from his career as a surveyor, but never got the chance. Out of embarrassment and naivety, Kemick accepted. "The hard part was already over —the labour of birthing an idea — and all I had to do was towel it off and spank a bit of life into it," he writes for The Walrus.
Here's more on his efforts to finish a dead man's novel and what he learned along the way. "The briefcase novel has taught me nothing about writing; it hasn’t taught me how to sculpt a sentence, how to develop character, not even how to craft a sex scene (from the notebook titled “Personalities”: “They made love, and she died.”). But the briefcase novel, and the surveyor who made it, has taught me everything about being a writer," he concludes.
“Classical literature has been reinterpreted for millennia. Different generations have made these works their own by translating the original Greek or Latin into their vernacular, and every translation brings fresh perspectives. While the earliest appearances of these texts are unattainable, the history of printing is peppered with remarkable Classical firsts from a wide array of translators.”
DOVE-TAIL. A species of regular answer, which fits into the subject, like the contrivance whence it takes its name: Ex. Who owns this? The dovetail is, Not you by your asking.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
RIG. Fun, game, diversion, or trick. To run one's rig upon any particular person; to make him a butt. I am up to your rig; I am a match for your tricks.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Every fictional story exists in its own imaginary world because at least some of the events and people it describes didn't actually happen or exist. Novelist Patrick Nathan writes for LitHub about creating universes, layering fiction with texture, and navigating a novel's world.
BERMUDAS. A cant name for certain places in London, privileged against arrests, like the Mint in Southwark, Ben. Jonson. These privileges are abolished.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Irish author James Joyce begins a relationship with Nora Barnacle and subsequently uses the date to set the actions for his novel Ulysses; this date is now traditionally called "Bloomsday" in honour of the novel's main character Leopold Bloom.
UNTRUSS. To untruss a point; to let down one's breeches in order to ease one's self. Breeches were formerly tied with points; these tags were worsteds of different colours twisted up to a size somewhat thicker than packthread, and tagged at both ends with tin.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
HEEL TAP. A peg in the heel of a shoe, taken out when it is finished. A person leaving any liquor in his glass, is frequently called upon by the toast-master to take off his heel-tap.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Today #amwriting about women and #gender in Venantius Fortunatus. He's pretty conventional, as one would expect, but I'm uncovering some interesting wrinkles.