Saturday, October 17, 2026

WORD MAN: Baroque

Baroque: relating to or denoting a style of European architecture, music, and art of the 17th and 18th centuries that followed Mannerism and is characterized by ornate detail; also, highly ornate and extravagant in style.

Defenestration: the action of throwing someone out of a window.

Ecdysiast: a striptease performer.

Joli coeur: translated from French as sweetheart, honey, or darling.

Phrenology: the detailed study of the shape and size of the cranium as a supposed indication of character and mental abilities.

Pinafore: a collarless sleeveless dress worn over a blouse or jumper.

Proscription: the action of forbidding something; banning; condemnation or denunciation of something.

Risibility: the ability or disposition to laugh, or a humorous awareness of the ridiculous and absurd.

Steganography: putting information within another message or physical object, in such a manner that the presence of the concealed information would not be evident to an unsuspecting person's examination. 

Vituperation: bitter and abusive language.

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ENTRIES FROM THE DOG BLOG

BLOG ENTRIES FROM THE AUTO RACING JOURNAL
(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)
(the book of great NASCAR stories)

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

EDITING A NOVEL

FOUND IN A NOVEL: One eye had started to close.

We began to close.

The author, Robert B. Parker, meant Spenser and Hawk were getting closer to their prey. But that's one close too many.

I'd change that second sentence this way: We were gaining on Zachary, or We were getting closer to Zachary.

✍️ ✍️ ✍️


ENTRIES FROM THE DOG BLOG

BLOG ENTRIES FROM THE AUTO RACING JOURNAL
(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)
(the book of great NASCAR stories)