All Purls. No Swine.
271 years ago today, on April 15, 1755, Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language was published. It was groundbreaking, the first attempt by an individual to round up and define the words that--themselves--defined us as Englishmen: Camelopard, noun: An Abyssinian animal, taller than an elephant, but not so thick. He is so named, because… Continue reading Happy 16th Amendment Day! 😬
I don't know if I'd want to adjudicate a competition for "most quoted man in English literature" between William Shakespeare and Samuel Johnson, but I thought I'd celebrate the 314th anniversary of the great man's birth with a few of his bon-mots. (Or should that be bons-mot? There is a rule about such things, but… Continue reading Happy Birthday, Dr. Johnson!