I'll have to decide which books to take of course. I don't think my current read, Living Dangerously by Katie Fforde, will last that long. It's a delicious romance and I'm absolutely gobbling it up. What I really love about it is that it's about grown-up people falling in love, with all the baggage that comes with being an adult, but still manages to be really funny. I'm also not completely immune to the fact that it's rather 'Pride and Prejudice' in its plot. In fact I completely love that facet of the book.
Katie Fforde has such a wonderful, funny way, with words and it sometimes makes me wonder if you can be as funny, writing in other languages. (Or have cryptic cross-words for that matter?) I suppose you can but it does seem to me that English is particularly well equipped for humour. I enjoy some of the Wondrous Words posts that pop up on my followers list on Wednesdays. Yvonne's from Fiction Books was a good one today and reminded me of the quote:
"English is a language that lurks in dark alleys, beats up other languages and rifles through their pockets for spare vocabulary."
I'm not sure who said it, or even if that's precisely what was said, but my goodness how true it is.
Happy reading. I'm going to spend a pleasant hour this afternoon choosing some books to take on my hols.
9 comments:
Happy birthday and enjoy Cornwall - are you going to the North coast?
Thanks, Verity! Um, yes and no. We're actually staying in a Premier Inn outside Camborne, but that's just a place to sleep really. We'll see some relatives in Penzance but I also want to do some walking at The Lizard, maybe pop up to Truro, and otherwise do whatever takes our fancy.
hey sis... what with my friend here having a bad car accident and my running her around to doctors and tests I didn't get a card off for your birthday..:o( I hope you know I wish you a most wonderful birthday and since you are going "home" to Cornwall I know you will have a great one! (need i say, take pictures? didn't think so)
I'm sending big birthday hugs for next Tuesday!! be careful now, you don't want to rush to catch up to my age! lol
Cath, have a wonderful birthday and time away in Cornwall. Best wishes for a fun time and some great reading!!
Hi Cath,
Thanks for the great link, I really appreciate it. I found out more about your quote, as I was intrigued by what you had written:
This seems to be the full quote, although unfortunately it had to be expounded by a Canadian!!
“The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.”
–James D. Nicoll
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Nicoll
The quote has just thrown up another new to me word, that was just begging to be checked out...
CRIBHOUSE:
A Western saloon is a kind of bar particular to the American Old West. Saloons served such customers as fur trappers, cowboys, soldiers,...
Have a fantastic birthday and a lovely break in Cornwall. I hope that the weather is a little kinder to you than of late.
Yvonne
No worries, Pat, I completely understand. Hope your friend is doing ok. Will email you later.
Oh yes, photos will be forthcoming, never fear!
And thanks for your birthday wishes. Looking forward to a few days in Cornwall but at the same time will miss being around online on my birthday.
Kay: Thank you! :-)
Yvonne: My pleasure. Your posts are always interesting and worth advertising.
Thanks for the full quote. Weirdly, I was under the impression that it might have been someone like Terry Pratchett who'd said it. Not sure why.
I didn't know what a cribhouse was either. Now I do.
Thanks, I will.
Happy birthday, Cath, and hope you have a lovely trip to Cornwall! I hope we get to see some pics when you come back! and hear about what you took for books, and what you managed to read.....
Thanks, Susan! I just checked the weather forecast and it's meant to be a wet week, which could stymie our plans for walks somewhat. I'm hoping they're wrong or pics could in short supply. I may end up having to spend a couple of days in Cornish bookshops. What a hardship...
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