‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone,
‘it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.’
On Wed, Apr 28, 2010 at 8:11 AM, Douglas Barbour
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 'Why can't words mean what they say?' -- Robert Kroetsch.
>
> What I see as a central line in his latest book, TOO BAD (UAlbertaP 2010);
> possibly relevant....
>
> Doug
> On 27-Apr-10, at 3:59 PM, Robin Hamilton wrote:
>
>>>>> I find it disturbing that there would be a more strict interpretation
>>>>> of a
>>>>> term's application in poetry where it is more loosely applied in its
>>>>> own
>>>>> discipline
>>>>
>>>> Well, I'm not sure that anyone other than Jeffrey is suggesting this.
>>>>
>>>> Robin
>>>
>>> Haw. When it comes to stricter interpretations of ANYthing, I'll almost
>>> certainly be there.
>>>
>>> --Bob
>>
>> All right then, Bob, you and Jeffrey both, rabid prescriptivists the pair
>> of you. If linguistic meaning were established by fiat or dictat, there
>> might be some sense in your position. In coining new terms, you at least
>> recognise that that not everyone uses words to mean what you'd like them to
>> mean. I can live with that. But when I'm told that when I imagine I'm
>> pretty clearly talking about narrative disjunction, I should be using the
>> term "match-cut", which points to *continuity, I simply want to put my head
>> in my hands and weep.
>>
>> Robin
>>
>
> Douglas Barbour
> [log in to unmask]
>
> http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/
>
> Latest books:
> Continuations (with Sheila E Murphy)
> http://www.uap.ualberta.ca/UAP.asp?LID=41&bookID=664
> Wednesdays'
> http://abovegroundpress.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-from-aboveground-press_10.html
>
> The secret
>
> I was immediately set upon by two or three
> critics, who hurled sophistries and
> maledictions at me that were astonishing
> in their dimness.
>
> Jorge Luis Borges
>
--
Editor, Masthead: http://www.masthead.net.au
Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
Home page: http://www.alisoncroggon.com
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