atw: Re: Word of the day: Vertiginous.
- From: "LIVERANI Petra" <Petra_LIVERANI@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 14:28:03 +1100
Hi Michael,
Although the Oxford states "vertiginous" is especially used to apply to h=
eight and steepness it simply means causing dizzyness (presumably the eff=
ect on many people of the sight of naked flesh) and is not restricted to =
that context. Etymology is from Latin "vertere" to turn. An internet sear=
ch will reveal other applications. I quote one below:
http://www.todayinliterature.com/print-today.asp?Event_Date=3D10/10/1958
On this day in 1958, Lawrence Durrell's Mountolive was published, his thi=
rd novel in the series commonly known as The Alexandria Quartet. The sex =
and exoticism of the first book, Justine, had caused a stir when it appea=
red the previous year. Working in manic bursts (6 weeks for Balthazar, 12=
=20for Mountolive, 8 for Clea), Durrell had the entire sequence finished =
by mid-1960, and the reviewers in awe of his "vertiginous erudition, his =
felicity of phrase and his astonishing powers of description." Mountolive=
=20is a relatively straightforward narration of the same events from pre-=
WWII Alexandria that are covered from other viewpoints in the previous tw=
o books ... =20
Regards,
Petra
-----Original Message-----
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Michael Edward
Granat
Sent: Thursday, 10 February 2005 12:42 PM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Word of the day: Vertiginous.
<http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/vertiginous?view=3Duk>
Found (in its adverbal form as vertiginously) but used in
a manner quite opposite to its meaning, in an ABC News Web
site article @:
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200502/s1299651.htm>
That aside, there must be an application for this word and
its variants (the Collins also lists the noun
vertiginousness) in all technical manuals, don't you think?
Especially where high resolution becomes just too high
for comfort.
Cheers,
Michael
Michael E. Granat
Qualified Good Tech Writer Dude
Fellowship Of The Ring Of Tech Writers, Yeah Baby!
T/as Write Ideas
E-mail: mailto:writeideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Web: <http://home.pacific.net.au/~megranat/>
Without Prejudice.
E&OE.
**************************************************
To post a message to austechwriter, send the message to austechwriter@fre=
elists.org.
To subscribe to austechwriter, send a message to austechwriter-request@fr=
eelists.org with "subscribe" in the Subject field.
To unsubscribe, send a message to austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wit=
h "unsubscribe" in the Subject field.
To search the austechwriter archives, go to www.freelists.org/archives/au=
stechwriter
To contact the list administrator, send a message to austechwriter-admins=
@freelists.org
**************************************************
IMPORTANT NOTICE: This e-mail and any attachment to it are intended only =
to be read or used by the named addressee. It is confidential and may con=
tain legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is w=
aived or lost by any mistaken transmission to you. The RTA is not respons=
ible for any unauthorised alterations to this e-mail or attachment to it.=
=20Views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, an=
d are not necessarily the views of the RTA. If you receive this e-mail in=
=20error, please immediately delete it from your system and notify the se=
nder. You must not disclose, copy or use any part of this e-mail if you a=
re not the intended recipient.
**************************************************
To post a message to austechwriter, send the message to
austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe to austechwriter, send a message to
austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "subscribe" in the Subject field.
To unsubscribe, send a message to austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with
"unsubscribe" in the Subject field.
To search the austechwriter archives, go to
www.freelists.org/archives/austechwriter
To contact the list administrator, send a message to
austechwriter-admins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
**************************************************
Other related posts:
