There's a word for that

The English language has some amusing words for things.  Here's one for word nerds:

Word of the Day #1

char·ley horse / noun (informal) = a cramp or feeling of stiffness in an arm or leg.  Example:  "She had a charley horse and limped as she went to the kitchen."

Word of the Day #2

roam /rəʊm / verb = to wander without a plan or a specific destination.  Example:  "Does your cat roam around the neighborhood all day?"

Why did I choose this word today?  Because someone mentioned that my cat roams the hall where I live.  No, she doesn't.  She walks beside me from our end of the hall to the other end and back again.  That is NOT roaming.

Word of the Day #3

gormless /chiefly British = dull, stupid, and lacking in intelligence.  Example:  "Professor Pigeon is not gormless."

I don't remember ever running across this word before, until this week.  So I looked it up.  I'd say Professor Pigeon is definitely the opposite of gormless.

Two more stories

Defense Mech (in the Ray Bradbury Super Pack) ~ by Ray Bradbury, 2021, short SciFi story, 8/10

Opening lines:  Halloway stared down at Earth, and his brain tore loose and screamed, Man, man, how'd you get in a mess like this, in a rocket a million miles past the moon, shooting for Mars and danger and terror and maybe death.

Lorelei of the Red Mist ~ by Leigh Brackett with Ray Bradbury, 1946, SciFi romance

Opening lines:  Hugh Starke had died, he was absolutely certain of that.  He had not survived when his spaceship crashed as he desperately tried to escape the authorities after pulling off the greatest lone-wolf heist in history.  And then he awakened in a new body to find himself a powerful, rich man on a world of bizarre loveliness.  He was pleased by his good luck . . . until he discovered that his new body was hated by everyone on this strange and lovely planet, and that his soul was owned by Rann, devil-goddess of Falga, who was using him for her own gain.

Amelia Bedelia books

Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping ~ by Peggy Parish, illustrations by Lynn Sweat, 1985, children's humor, 57 pages

Ever since the very literal Amelia Bedelia made her debut in 1963, young readers have been laughing out loud at the antics of this literal-minded but charming housekeeper.  Children learn to read with these classic Amelia Bedelia books.  The New York Times Book Review says "she's usually right when she's wrong."

Amelia Bedelia has never been camping in the great outdoors before.  She's trying her best to do exactly as she's told, but pitching a tent is not the same as throwing it into the bushes, and catching a fish with your bare hands isn't easy.  As usual, Amelia Bedelia makes this camping trip one hugely entertaining adventure.

Yesterday, I posted about how literally I took my mother's words when I was about four years old.  One person commented, "Oh dear!!  You were a very literal little child!  I'm guessing the Amelia Bedelia books were made for you?"  Oh, no, by the time Amelia Bedelia hit the shelves (no, no, don't hit any shelves, Amelia!), I was a mother of three.  Maybe my children read those books, but — really, folks — do you think I can remember everything I read to them sixty years ago?  Anyway, I've put Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping and the newer one below (by her nephew) on reserve at my library, along with that very first Amelia Bedelia, which was published in 1963.

Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School ~ by Herman Parish, illustrated by Lynne Avril, 2011, children's humor, 32 pages

Amelia Bedelia goes to school and mixes up just about everything in this bright and funny picture book about the childhood of the iconic character.  Amelia Bedelia is sure that she will absolutely love school — after all, what's not to love?  But after hopping on the bus "just like a bunny" (hurry up, sweetie!), confusing her name tag with a game (we are not playing tag), and gluing herself to her seat (oh, dear), Amelia Bedelia discovers that what she takes for granted is not always the way the world works.

FYI ~ Herman Parish was in the fourth grade when his aunt, Peggy Parish, wrote the first book about Amelia Bedelia.  The lovable, literal-minded housekeeper has been a member of his family ever since.  Peggy Parish died in 1988.  She would be proud and delighted to know that her nephew is carrying on — for a new generation of readers — the tradition she began years ago.

"Keep an eye on your brother"

Words, words, and more words

My brother was born a two-and-a-half-years after me.  Mother was taking us for a walk when I was about four, pushing him in a stroller similar to this illustration.  Mrs. England was in her yard, so Mom stopped to talk to her, saying to me, "Keep an eye on your baby brother."  I was so perturbed and so anxious that, to this day, I can vividly recall what I felt.  I wailed back her, "How can I keep an eye on him?  Do I take out my eye and put it on him?"  As you can see (see? ha!), I was very literal and took words quite seriously!  Are you surprised that I became a wordsmith and a writer?  Oh, and also an editor?

Word of the Day

word·​smith /ˈwərd-ˌsmith / noun = a person who works with words, especially a skillful writer.  Example:  My first business was called Wordsmith.  (I still have my old business license, framed.)

The Monster Maker ~ by Ray Bradbury, 2020, science fiction, 58 pages, 9/10

Blast off to adventure in this golden age space opera story!  Their orders were simple, to capture the dread Space Pirate Gunther and bring him in.  But once their ship crashed onto an asteroid, the two men's chance at success weren’t looking very good.  All they had to work with were an hour of air each, one gun, a news-reel camera, and their wits.

Morgue Ship ~ by Ray Bradbury, 2020, science fiction, 13 pages, 9/10

This was Burnett's last trip.  Three more shelves to fill with space-slain warriors — and he would be among the living again.

Lazarus Come Forth ~ by Ray Bradbury, 2020, science fiction, 18 pages, 9/10

The Morgue Ship had gleaned information from space that would end the three hundred year war, knowledge that would defeat the aggressor Martians — if Brandon could carry it to Earth.

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb Nance at Readerbuzz.

Questions, questions, and more questions

Questions Jesus Asked ~ by Magrey R. deVega, 2023, religion, 160 pages

Jesus was fond of asking questions, many of which cut right to the heart of what it means to be human.  Why are you terrified?  What do you live for?  Who do you say that I am?  This book explores six of the most provocative questions Jesus posed to others.  These questions reveal what Jesus really cares about.  These are things Jesus wanted to know about people around him.

Jesus Is the Question: The 307 Questions Jesus Asked and the 3 He Answered ~ by Martin B. Copenhaver, 2014, religion, 192 pages

Contrary to some common assumptions, Jesus is not the ultimate Answer Man, but more like the Great Questioner.  This book points out that Jesus asks many more questions than he answers.  To be precise, Jesus asks 307 questions.  He answers only 3 of 183 questions he is asked.  In other words, for every question he answers directly he asks — literally — a hundred.

A reader commented:  "The note taped over the title on the cover implies that the book covers 307 questions which it. DOES NOT. I didn't expect a detailed discussion on each of the. 307 question, I didn't even expect a paragraph on each one. But at least a list and a reference."  Good point.  The first book above explores only six of those questions.

Beginning ~ with reason and revelation

Beginning — In this book, I propose that if we want to understand the ideas the Hebrew Scriptures were written to advance, we should read these texts much as we read the writings of Plato or Hobbes — as works of reason or philosophy, composed to assist individuals and nations looking to discover the true and the good in accordance with man's [sic] natural abilities (p. 31).

The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture ~ by Yoram Hazony, 2012, philosophy, 394 pages

What if the Hebrew Bible wasn't meant to be read as “revelation”?  What if it's not really about miracles or the afterlife — but about how to lead our lives in this world?  This book proposes a new framework for reading the Bible to show how biblical authors used narrative and prophetic oratory to advance universal arguments about ethics, political philosophy, and metaphysics.  It assumes no belief in God or other religious commitment and no previous background in Bible.  Here's a list from the Amazon page about this book (slightly edited):

• People say that Bible is about obeying God’s commands, but biblical figures such as Moses, Aaron, and Pinchas [spelled Phinehas, in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible; see Exodus 6:25] disobey God and are praised or rewarded for it.
• People say Abraham was praised because of his willingness to sacrifice his only son on an altar, but Abraham never decides he will sacrifice Isaac.  He believes God will back down, and the Bible tells us so explicitly.
• People say that the biblical heroes are mostly men, but the Bible goes out of its way to emphasize that no fewer than five different women risked their lives in the struggle to save the infant Moses, suggesting that without every one of these women the Jews would never have left Egypt.
• People say the Bible is about faith as the ultimate value, but the law of Moses includes no commandment to have faith, and the Bible tells us that Moses himself was unable to attain a perfect faith in God.
• People say that God calls himself “I am that I am” at the burning bush, implying (as tradition has it) that he is perfect being, eternal and unchanging, but the original text actually says the opposite of this:  In Hebrew God says, “I will be what I will be,” suggesting that God is not perfect, but rather imperfect and changing.
• People say that the biblical kingdom of the Israelites was destroyed because it turned to idolatry, but the fall of the kingdom begins with Solomon, his inability to control his desire for big armies, women, and gold, and the ruinous taxation and enslavement of his people that result from this.
• People say the story of Cain and Abel is about hatred between brothers, but Cain and Abel aren’t just any brothers.  They stand for conflicting ways of life — the life of the farmer vs. that of the shepherd.  Abel is just the first in a line of biblical heroes (including Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and David) who choose the life of the shepherd and what it represents and thus win God’s love.

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays.

Thursday Thoughts

I told you on Sunday (a mere four days ago) that I'd be moving soon into my new apartment, and I posted a photo of the front of the building, adding:  "My apartment is on this side."  Nope!  Though it will still be on the same floor, now I'll have a different apartment facing the other direction.