by Anura Guruge
on August 3, 2021
Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com
What a lovely powerful & useful word.
But, what was the last time you heard it or read it. Better still, what was the last time you used it.
I KNOW, for a fact, that I have not used in ‘recent history‘ — if ever! Maybe I never had the need; but that seems unlikely.
I came across it the other night. John Irving (b. 1942), one of my favorite authors, had used it in: ‘Trying to Save Piggy Sneed‘ (1996). It stopped me in my tracks. I will CONFESS I had to look it up to make sure that I got its full flavor. John, in his inimitable manner, had used it in the context of masturbation (& for that matter, ‘Catcher in the Rye‘). It was, as always, BRILLIANT. I am in awe of his writing (though it sometimes drives me to distraction).
Well, I did NOT want you to miss out. Hence, this post. Enjoy — but please do not do so in a perfunctory manner.
