Great British Writers - Wilfred Owen

We have talked on many occasions of the fables and idiosyncrasies in the English language. We have looked at rules, such as the i before e except after c rule, which have many exceptions. We have also looked at words that are spelt the same, pronounced the same but have different meanings. Yes we know there are funny little quirks. However, that said I still believe English to be a marvellous language, and thought how about we look at some great British writers and poets, who are able to bring the language alive and provide pleasure to a great many people.

I don’t think there could be a better start to our new venture than Wilfred Owen, who is considered one of the leading poets of the First World War. Owen was born in Shropshire, England in 1893, though he was of mixed English and Welsh ancestry. At the age of twenty, in 1913, he went to France for two years to work as a language tutor. His love for writing was already established as he had begun writing poetry as a young teenager, mainly influenced by the romantic writings of Keats and Shelley.

In 1915 he returned to Britain to enlist in the Army and, after initial training was assigned into the Manchester Regiment as a second lieutenant. His regiment left for the Western Front early in 1917 where he witnessed the savagery of the war and such traumatic events that led to him being diagnosed with shellshock and returned to Britain for treatment. Whilst he was convalescing he met the poet Siegfried Sassoon who inspired and encouraged Owen with his poetry. The doctors had advised Owen to write of his experiences as part of his therapy. This coupled with his new friend Sassoon’s passion for realism saw a marked change in Owens writing style, and his work from that date was characterised by his anger at the cruelty and waste of life he witnessed during his active service. In this way Owen became one of the first anti-war poets. Prior to this, war poetry had tended to concentrate on the splendour and glory of war, rather than look at the reality.   

Owen returned to the fighting in France in August 1918 and was awarded The Military Cross for bravery in October. Owen was killed in action on the 4^th November 1918, just one week before the armistice. It is widely believed that his mother actually received the telegram advising of his death on the 11^th November, Armistice Day, as the church bells were ringing out to celebrate the end of hostilities.

For those of you unfamiliar with Wilfred Owens work, here is one of his most famous poems “Anthem for Doomed Youth”:

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells,
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, -
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing down of blinds.

Below is a rendition of this poem by Sean Bean – I challenge anybody to listen and not be moved.  

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Rugby Club Names - For a Change

A few weeks ago we started looking at the origins of some of the more unusual names of football teams. This is a fascinating topic and will continue for a few more weeks. However I think it is appropriate to interrupt the football theme and turn to rugby this week, as it is the season of international matches and the four-yearly tour of the British and Irish Lions to the southern hemisphere – this time Australia.

In the southern hemisphere there is a great tradition of giving teams animal names. These names suggest the physical prowess of the animals such as the Natal Sharks, the Pretoria Bulls and the Central Cheetahs from South Africa. Images of powerful animals certainly! Less well known is the animal origin of the Australian team name ACT Brumbies. Brumbies are feral horses which roam freely in Queensland and the Northern Territories. They are descended from horses which either escaped or were lost in the early days of the colonial settlement of Australia, and are made up of a number of different equine breeds.

In New Zealand team names tend to have a more historical basis, with names like the Highlanders and the Crusaders suggesting the traditions and strengths of army units. These references belie the fact that these teams are relative newcomers in the sporting world, having been formed following the move to professional rugby union in the late 1990s.

To find more traditional unusual names for rugby teams we must return to the northern hemisphere where we find clubs such as Harlequins and Wasps in England, and Stade Francais and Racing Club de France, obviously in France. Stade Francais was founded in 1883 and took its name from the Stade Jean-Bouin where it has always played all its home games. Racing Club de France began life in 1882 as an athletic club, and gradually added more sports to its portfolio, starting a rugby club in 1890. 

Harlequin FC was founded in 1866 as Hampstead FC but changed its name in 1870 as the club no longer represented the Hampstead area. However the HFC monogram had to be retained. A quick search of the dictionary suggested harlequin, and nearly everyone involved agreed to the new name! Those that did not like the new name separated from the club and formed a new rugby club, called Wasps. Names of animals and insects were very popular in the late Victorian period, and it has been long assumed that this was the reason for the choice of name. Also in London you will find Saracens FC, whose name was chosen because it represents the “endurance, enthusiasm and perceived invincibility of Saladin's desert warriors of the 12th century” Interestingly, 2 years after the club was formed it amalgamated with the neighbouring club Crusaders, something that never happened in the 12^th century!

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Loads of Unusual Words!

Over the past few weeks, or should I say months, I have enjoyed constructing my A to Z list of unusual, often obsolete words . When we reached words beginning with the letter z I thought we had reached an end. However, I have been asked to summarise this project, to give all the words we have looked at in one blog with a brief explanation for each one. On reflection I thought what a good idea! If anyone is looking for a different word to use, hopefully they will find some inspiration here. We have a bit of everything, from fun words, to some that can only be described as insulting. Anyway, here we go!

Asinine – extremely or utterly foolish.

Balter – to tumble or dance clumsily, can also mean to tangle or stick together.

Cachinnator – a person who laughs loudly and immoderately.

Cockalorum – describes a little man with a very high opinion of himself.

Defenestration - the act of throwing something or someone out of the window.

Ebberman – one who fishes under bridges.

Flibbertigibbet – one who is flighty and whimsical.

Gobemouche – a silly or naive person who believes everything they hear.

Hornswoggle – a slang term meaning to cheat, hoodwink, swindle or deceive.

Impignorate - to place in pawn or to mortgage.

Illecebrous – pretty, attractive, alluring and enticing.

Jocoserious – half serious and half in jest.

Janiform – to resemble the god Janus, having two faces looking in different directions.

Koniology - the study of atmospheric dust and the effect it has on animal and plant life.

Leman – a secret lover or mistress.

Lavolta – a lively, bouncy dance.

Maunder – to ramble foolishly, or to move or act in a dreamy way,

Malefic – describes someone capable of causing harm and destruction, especially by supernatural ways.

Nitid – bright, glistening and radiant.

Obstreperous – to refuse to act in a reasonable way.

Postprandial – after a meal.

Preprandial – prior to a meal.

Posthumous – occurring after death.

Panurgic - skilled and adept at all kinds of work.

Quidnunc – an inquisitive and gossipy person.

Riziform – shaped like a grain of rice.

Ragabash – an idle and worthless fellow.

Runagate – a deserter or renegade.

Rampallian – a scoundrel and a rascal.

Sabrage – the technique of opening champagne bottles with a sabre.

Tantalus – A locked case containing bottles or decanters of wine; the contents of which can be seen.

Ubiquitous – to appear to be in many places at the same time.

Ventripotent – describes a greedy individual with a big belly.

Vesthibitionism – flirtatious display of undergarments by a woman.

Verecund – shy and modest.

Woundy – causing or characterised by wounds: or excessive.

Xerophagy – is a restrictive diet, often a form of fasting.

Xerophobia – the fear of dryness or dry places.

Xylophobia – the fear of forests.

Xenophobia – the fear of anything or anyone foreign.

Xenophilia – a person who is attracted to that which is foreign such as people tradition and cultures.

Yegg – a thief or burglar.

Yex – to hiccup or burp.

Zenzizenzizenzic – an obsolete mathematical term represent the eighth power of a number.

Zelotypia – a morbid jealousy; or an excessive zeal for carrying out a project.

Zonary – of a relating to a zone.

Zwischenzug – a tactical chess move.

As I'm sure you realize this is just a fraction of the many rare and unusual words we could have looked at. This is simply a list of words that I would like to share with you. As you will have notice some letters have lots of words that appeal to me and I hope I am forgiven that I did not include the same number of words for each letter; I just can't help myself, sometimes I get carried away!

If you would like any help with your written English, please visit our website at www.writtenenglishcorrected.com. Don't forget there is a 10% discount available throughout June for any customers who mention the blog.

Does a Yegg Zenzizenzizenzic His Money?

Our journey through the alphabet, looking at unusual and rarely used words, is nearly completed. It has been an interesting little project for me and I hope you have enjoyed some of the more obscure words, and will have fun using them in everyday conversations.  Today, we will look at words beginning with the letters “y” and “z” and believe me there are some really wacky words to entertain us!

Let’s start with a simple little word, yegg, which is a slang name for a thief or burglar, and in particular for a safe cracker. Usage of this word dates back to the early1900’s. Although the origin is unsure, one theory is that it was the surname of a rather daring criminal John Yegg. So the story goes John was once a successful electrician and merchant living in the United States of America. However a fondness for too many drinks and keeping bad company led him into a life of crime. It is suggested that he was the first person to use nitro-glycerine when blowing open safes. He shared his methods with others in the criminal world, and after his arrest and imprisonment, it is suggested that others copying this method became known as yeggmen or yeggs. I have no idea if this is the true story of the term yegg, but wanted to share it with you as it seems both possible and probable. Also, for any screen writers out there I think it would make an excellent plot for a film!

To yex is an old English word meaning to hiccup or to burp. To quote Chaucer “He yexeth and he speaketh through the nose” (1913 Webster). You may also speak of yexing and yexed. Now I quite like this word and have a feeling I may prefer to yex than to hiccup in the future.

If you were wondering if I would have a problem thinking of an unusual word beginning with the letter z, have I got a treat for you. I have a word, not with one z but with six – zenzizenzizenzic! This is an obsolete mathematical notion representing the eighth power of a number.  For example the zenzizenzizenzic of 2 is 256 (2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2). This term was first used by the Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde, in his book published in 1557 entitled “The Whetstone of Witte”.   

If you think that is a bit too much like showing off, we could look at some other words such as zelotypia, which suggests a morbid jealousy or an excessive zeal in carrying out a project; or what about zonary, meaning of, or relating to, or of the nature of a zone. I will leave you with zwischenzug, which all you chess players will know is a tactical move in chess where an unexpected move is made to turn a situation around to the player’s advantage.

I hope this little walk through the alphabet has introduced some new and interesting words to you. Don’t forget if you would like any help with your written English please check out our website at  www.writtenenglishcorrected.com 

Ventripotent? Time for Xerophagy!

Our list of interesting and not very often used words just keeps growing and growing! Today we are nearing the end of the alphabet and looking at words starting with the letters “v” “w” and “x”. I think we have an amusing assortment, and hopefully you will find something you can slip into a conversation over the weekend and raise a couple of eyebrows!

I have to confess, after a week of overindulging at birthday celebrations I feel the following word could be very fitting to describe myself at present! Ventripotent is an adjective used to describe someone with a big belly. It can also be used to describe a greedy individual with a great capacity for food. Oh dear – diet really is starting tomorrow!

If you are feeling very naughty you may just fancy a spot of vesthibitionism. For those of you who have not heard of this, it is the flirtatious display of undergarments by a woman. Ummm, I’m sure my readers are far too verecund to indulge in such a pastime. Verecund, from the Latin vereri meaning to fear, means modest or shy.

What about a simple little word like woundy. Any ideas of the definition of this word? Well, you may take an educated guess that it could relate to causing wounds or being characterised by wounds and you would be correct. However, there is also an alternative, meaning excessively or extremely as given in the Websters Revised Unabridged Dictionary published in 1913. One may talk of asking a woundy price for an item or being woundy cold. On the other hand one may prefer to talk of an extortionate price and being freezing – the choice is yours!

Earlier we were talking of diets and having a few xerophagy days may certainly help me get back into shape. Xerophagy is a restrictive diet, a form of fasting by eating dry foods only. An example may be a diet of bread and water that may be enforced as a punishment or followed as a form of religious discipline. The following quote from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 1 states   “Fridays, or on days during their various Lenten seasons (Wednesdays and Fridays excepted), a complete or partial suspension of xerophagy takes place.”

When looking at words that begin with the letter x there are many examples of words  that relate to the fear of something, such as xerophobia – the fear of dryness or dry places, xylophobia – the fear of forests or woods and xenophobia – the fear of foreigners.  However lets finish on a more positive note and I will leave you with xenophilia – a love of foreigners. A xenophile is a person who is attracted to that which is foreign such as people, traditions and cultures.  

As always, if you would like help with your written English, please visit our website www.writtenenglishcorrected.com  As a special offer for June there is a 10% discount for any customers who mention the blog when they contact us!