EDITOR@WORK

Qwillerish Ramblings: The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare

I'm reading another Cat Who book by Lilian Jackson Braun, The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare.

So far, I've come across preciosity (excessive refinement in art, music, or language) and orthography (the conventional spelling system of a language).

I've also seen mention of Old English- and Biedermeier-style furniture. The Biedermeier period was an era in the art and culture of the German Confederation between 1815 and 1848.

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EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com BLUESKY: PROFILE

MORE EDITOR@WORK BLOG ENTRIES

• You really DO need an editor

• Reminders for would-be novelists

• What I do when I'm editing

• What I charge (it's a deal) and what I edit

• Slogging through the Internet

• J-school: More eyes on your stories

• J-school: Go out and learn

• Rookie mistakes for magazine writers

BLOG ENTRIES BY TOM GILLISPIE

• Resume for a writer and editor

• An editor's views on powerful writing

• Advice for be and would-be novelists

• Links to TG's stories online

• Favorite quotes

• What I do when I'm editing

ANECDOTES BY TOM GILLISPIE

• Wipeout at Death Valley

• Days with rainbows

• A desperate writer working in the dark

• Yer OUTTA there!

ENTRIES FROM THE DOG BLOG

• Katie cried

• Growl and pull

• 13-plus years with my dog Lady

• ... said the spider to ...

• The Dog Diary (2014)

• YIP! YIP! The stereo-sound huskies

• What Lady and Michael Jackson had in common

BLOG ENTRIES FROM THE AUTO RACING JOURNAL

• Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr.

(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)

• Then Junior Said to Jeff...

(the book of great NASCAR stories)

• My best day as a sports writer

• Jeff Gordon's milk toast to Dale Earnhardt

• Wayne Auton: A life in racing

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

WORD MAN: CORMORANTS

Things you need to know about CORMORANTS!

I just finished the James Bond novel Dr. No written by Ian Fleming, and I encountered cormorants for the first time.

Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds found worldwide and commonly known as cormorants and shags. See the video above.

Dr. No's minions are actually collecting cormorant guano (dung).

I also encountered nembutal headache. So I looked it up.

Nembutal (pentobarbital sodium) is a barbiturate used to treat insomnia, as an emergency seizure treatment, and to cause patients to fall asleep for surgery.

James Bond ordered angels on horseback; they're oysters wrapped in partially cooked bacon, then grilled or broiled and spritzed with lime or lemon.

Also, demoiselle, it could be a bird (crane) or fish (damselfish).

Also, cosset, care for and protect in an overindulgent way.

Also, palped; the verb "palp" means to touch or feel. It originates from the French word "palper" and is derived from the Latin "palpō," meaning "to stroke" or "to feel."

Also, merthiolate; it is a topical antiseptic solution used to prevent infection in minor cuts, scrapes, and abrasions.

That's all, folks.

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EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com BLUESKY: PROFILE