Word-Wednesday for February 12, 2020

And here is the Wannaskan Almanac for Word-Wednesday, February 12, 2020, the 7th Wednesday of the year,  the 43rd day of the year, with 323 days remaining, but only 49 days until April 1st.


Nordhem Lunch: Polish Sausage & Sauer Kraut


Earth/Moon Almanac for February 12, 2020
Sunrise: 7:38am; Sunset: 5:38pm; 3 minutes, 19 seconds more daylight today
Moonrise: 10:16pm; Moonset: 9:42am, waning gibbous


Temperature Almanac for February 12, 2020
                Average           Record          Today
High             20                   48                 -1
Low              -2                  -41                -21


February 12 Celebrations from National Day Calendar

• National Plum Pudding Day
• Darwin Day

February 12 Word Riddle
What can run but never walks,
Has a mouth but never talks,
Has a bed but never sleeps,
Has a head but never weeps?*


February 12 Pun
Roseau Times-Region Headline: Pencer Chiropractor Arrested for Back Taxes


February 12 Notable Historic Events, Literary or Otherwise, from On This Day

• 1889 Henrik Ibsen's Fruen fra havet (The Lady from the Sea) premieres in Oslo.
• 1924 George Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue premieres.
• 1994 The Scream, by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch is stolen in Oslo.

February 12 Author/Artist/Character Birthdays, from On This Day

• 1752 Josef Reicha, Czech composer.
• 1809 Abraham Lincoln.
• 1809 Charles Darwin.
• 1936 Arnost Parsch, Czech composer.

Words-I-Looked-Up-This-Week Writer's Challenge
Make a single sentence (or poem) from the following words:

• aibohphobia: an irrational fear of palindromes.
• brizzle: to scorch near to burning or to slightly singe.
• cacoethes: irresistible urge to do something inadvisable.
• discubiture: a reclining posture assumed when dining.
• enthymeme: an argument in which one premise is not explicitly stated.
• phenakism: deception or trickery.
• portcullis: a strong, heavy grating that can be lowered down grooves on each side of a gateway to block it.
• scurryfunge: to rush around cleaning when company is on their way over.
• summa rerum: the highest public interest; the public good.
• verbigeration: the habit of frequently repeating favorite words or phrases.

February 12, 2020 Word-Wednesday Feature
Euphemisms and Self-Censorship

Having previously explored the wide world of euphemisms as a general option in the writer’s tool box, today Word-Wednesday explores the use of euphemisms for naughty bits and hanky panky, where befitting a family blog, all language will be rated G, and where all images will be reproductions of fine art feature in public museums.

Unless you wish to become a modern-day James Joyce, most writers (and readers) self-censor their references to certain parts of the human anatomy that Monty Python fans euphemistically refer to as “naughty bits” when speaking in the company of youngsters or polite society, often using euphemisms. Generally meant to be both polite and humorous, child psychologists consistently urge parents to use the correct anatomical word for the male body part rather than euphemisms like Mr. Snuffleupagus in support of a gradual, age-appropriate developmental path towards sexual dignity and respect for persons of different genders. After all, children know its there; let’s not make it a big deal.

In Language and Censorship**, Catherine A. Ball, also known as Jack Pine Savage, explains the cultural naughty bit self-censorship in terms of words as linguistic signs and symbols:

What ramifications does this discussion of  signs and symbols have for the censorship issue? Many! First of all, all words considered "bad" are considered so on a purely arbitrary and cultural base. For example, enough people seriously (for whatever  reason) set out to make the work “zucchini” a taboo word, it could be done. Following a pattern that may have been used for other taboo words, we might assume that “zucchini” conjures up visions of long,  hard  objects which grow  at  an  an amazing rate. To our anti-zucchini group, this might be extended to all manner of phallic interpretation, thus the banning  of the poor zucchini. No doubt, “cucumber" would follow suit before long. Enough silliness. The point is any symbol can be made taboo if the cultural climate is right. The main error is that by banning the symbol the censors assume they are also banning the reality. But of course, even if our advocate group succeeded in censoring "zucchini" and "cucumber", these plants would continue to grow in radical gardens. Likewise, censoring sexually related words or descriptions hardly erases the activities themselves.

The next insight relates to the variety of responses possible to a given symbol. Since all objectionable language can safely be categorized as symbolic, it follows that a variety of  responses is possible to such language. Decades ago, linguists completely abandoned the so-called container theory of communication, which holds that the meaning of a symbol is contained in the symbol itself. Thus, virtually no symbol has one given interpretation. Therefore, if censors wish to drive away all lustful and lascivious thoughts, they have some terrific housecleaning ahead of them. Who knows, perhaps even "zucchini" and "cucumber" will have to be expurgated, for if sexual connotations are possible (and they obviously are since I have already suggested them), these words are just as worthy of censorship as some of the more four-letter variety. In  addition,  some  of  the strongest censorship advocates advise that those doing the censoring have an ear to the connotations people in the community at large  share. Now, if "zucchini" and "cucumber" are capable of having pornographic connotations, then the censors are bound to add them to the objection­ able list. Naturally,  this approach would soon wipe out  the entire language, as everything from "baby oil" to "mom's apple pie" was brought under suspicion.

Literary euphemisms for hanky panky have been around for as long as censors. Here are a few from the Middle Ages to the present day:

“Give someone a green gown.” 

Twelfth century, engage in baby making activities on a grassy hillside.

“The service of Venus.” 

Fourteenth century reference to the Roman goddess of love.

“Play nug-a-nug.” 

Fourteenth century (a historical pattern develops), where, alas, the original meaning of the word, nug.

“Make the beast with two backs.” 

Fourteenth century, engage in baby-making as missionaries might do, famously spoken by Iago in Othello, Act 1, Scene 1.

“Ride below the crupper.” 

Fourteenth century Joycean reference to the piece of horse-riding kit that keeps the horse’s tail erect.

“Shaking of the sheets.” 

Fifteenth century reference to a kind of medieval dance, commonly appended by the words, “without music.”

“Make feet for children’s stockings.” 

Eighteenth century, a peculiarly odd, matronly reference to making a baby.

Or, for what you get, you can just skip to the 1920s and Ella Fitzgerald.


From A Year with Rilke, February 12 Entry
In the Asylum Garden, from Letters to a New Poems.

The abandoned cloister still encloses the courtyard
as if it were holy.
It remains a retreat from the world
For those who live there now.

Whatever could happen has already happened.
Now they are glad to walk the trusted paths
that draw them apart and bring them back together,
so simple and willing.

Some, on their knees beside the planted beds,
are absorbed by what they are tending.
When no one can see, there is
a secret little gesture they make.

To touch the tender early grass,
shyly to caress it.
The green is friendly and needs protection
from the rose whose red can be too fierce

and can over power once again
what they know in their hearts to be true.
Sill the inner knowledge is always there:
how good the grass is and how soft.

Be better than yesterday,
learn a new word today,
try to stay out of trouble - at least until tomorrow,
and write when you have the time.


*river
**A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Department of English in Partial Fulfillment of the Degree of Masters of Science in Teaching, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, November 30, 1979.