Path: ...!news.mixmin.net!news2.arglkargh.de!news.karotte.org!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: Aidan Kehoe Newsgroups: sci.lang Subject: Re: Samuel Johnson born (18/9/1705) Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2024 14:39:40 +0100 Lines: 27 Message-ID: <87jzf9f5cz.fsf@parhasard.net> References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: individual.net YGO5EXvlc5RX9lpQH4e9VwbXAyuMuxzM2VYzcx6tGc7fU6TVoY Cancel-Lock: sha1:uAqr7OXqr5TkbRzXeoJgHoRA54c= sha1:Maz3SFfHVE/4g3i7W1lubae/u1Q= sha256:yC5Gp6Aqoa8a8gEUST3flIHhGYyLD7NojFtG7n7ZuTA= User-Agent: Gnus/5.101 (Gnus v5.10.10) XEmacs/21.5-b35 (Linux-aarch64) Bytes: 1905 Ar an t-ochtú lá déag de mí Méan Fómhair, scríobh Ross Clark: > [...] One example of a bad choice by Johnson which has been discussed here > (or on a.u.e.) is the very peculiar spelling of "ache". It seems to have > been influenced by his belief that the word was of Greek origin. Recently I > have come across a couple of other examples of how Johnson's etymological > misapprehensions influenced his spellings for the worse. Can't find them > right now. Oh well, in matters of judgement you need to make a judgement, and as with anything, occasionally it will be wrong. > Crystal's pick for a Johnsonian definition to exemplify "brevity, fulness and > perspicuity": > > Sorry > Grieved for something past. It is generally used of slight or casual > miscarriages or vexations, but sometimes of greater things. It does not imply > any long continuance of grief. That’s a good choice on Crystal’s part. -- ‘As I sat looking up at the Guinness ad, I could never figure out / How your man stayed up on the surfboard after fourteen pints of stout’ (C. Moore)