Definition (Noun) A gaudy trifle, plaything, or ornament, a pretty thing of little value, a toy or bauble. In Context "Manet applauded the gesture, dismissing the award as a 'dirty gewgaw,' suitable for children and regime toadies." Philip Nord, Impressionists and Politics: Art and Democracy in the Nineteenth Century, 2000.
Petards and Wringers in the Limelight To sit on the fence. To miss the boat. To spill the beans. To kick the bucket. These are idioms – phrases whose meaning cannot be deduced from the words that form them, much to the chagrin of non-English speakers. Notwithstanding their concreteness, expressions such as these belong to the realm of figurative language, which, to paraphrase Shakespeare, age cannot wither, nor custom stale. Indeed, idioms are capable of enduring long after their source has lost all currency. Take, for example, the expression, "to be hoist with one's own petard." Were it not for Shakespeare, the [...]
Definition (Adjective) Of the same blood, related by blood, akin; of or pertaining to those so related. In Context "As a result of this blatant disregard of the canons forbidding consanguineous marriage, she was forced by Pope Innocent III to separate from her husband." John Carmi Parsons and Bonnie Wheeler, Editors, Medieval Mothering, 1996.
Definition (Noun) A person from a humble background who has rapidly gained wealth or an influential social position; a nouveau riche; an upstart, a social climber. Generally used with the implication that the person concerned is unsuited to the new social position, especially through lacking the necessary manners or accomplishments. In Context "In short, Nora's contempt for Society's ways was not the sour grapes of the excluded parvenu; it was the amused disdain of the old aristocracy." Malcolm Macdonald, Sons of Fortune, 1978.
On November 11, 15 members of Princeton's staff, from Forbes College to the Bendheim Center for Finance; from 22 Chambers Street to 693 Alexander Road, gathered at Frist Campus Center to establish a community of writers – a supportive and creative space in which to put pen to paper, share experiences, articulate objectives, and find inspiration. Facilitated by John Weeren and Stephanie Whetstone of Princeton Writes and Jamie Saxon of the Office of Communications, Writing Space traces its beginnings to the University's inaugural staff essay contest in 2015. On meeting one another, the winners of that contest expressed frustration with the [...]
Please consider entering Princeton Writes’ annual essay contest, which was inaugurated last year to encourage and recognize clear, creative, and compelling writing on the part of the University’s academic professional, administrative, and support staffs. This is a unique opportunity to express yourself outside the day-to-day confines of emails, spreadsheets, and reports, and even those who do not think of themselves as “writers” are warmly invited to participate. This year’s contest focuses on diversity of all forms in our community. You are invited to write about your experience with the presence or absence of differences and the impact of that experience on [...]
Definition (Adjective) Superficially resembling or simulating, but lacking the genuine character or qualities of, something; not true or genuine; false, sham, counterfeit. In Context "The second potential problem is one of spurious correlations; the chance that an association between one of our scales and independent variable X might actually be due to the action of another independent variable Y." Martin King Whyte, The Status of Women in Preindustrial Societies, 1978.
Definition (Adjective) Strictly observant of or insistent on fine points of procedure, etiquette, or conduct; extremely or excessively particular or correct. Also: characterized by such scrupulous attention to detail or formality. In Context "Spain, degenerate and fallen in many respects, is as punctilious and jealous of her honor as ever she was, and would not hesitate to declare war against the most powerful nation on earth in defense of the least valuable of her possessions." "Cuba and Central America," San Francisco Chronicle, June 21, 1873.
Critical Assessment "The subject of identity – how human memory and reality might be manipulated by outside agents – features in countless futuristic books, stories and films, and has been especially popular in the last decade as advances in the visual, auditory and surgical arts have made us increasingly wary of trusting our senses. But McCarthy's superb stylistic control and uncanny imagination transport this novel beyond the borders of science fiction. His bleak humor, hauntingly affectless narrator and methodical expansion on his theme make "Remainder" more than an entertaining brain-teaser: it's a work of novelistic philosophy, as disturbing as it is [...]
