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Dimboxes, Epopts, and Other Quidams: Words to Describe Life's Indescribable People by David Grambs
cfc's review against another edition
5.0
In his autobiographical novel Kenneth Rexroth claimed that during a phase of his adult life when he had to take hours-long epsom bath soaks every day, he made use of the time by propping a board across the tub, where he eventually read the entire encyclopedia.
I can't claim to have "read" this wonderfully entertaining dictionary straight through, but over the years I've probably read all of it. It's a "reference" I've kept handy in various locations for a while - the bathroom, by my desk at work - where I feel "armed" to precisely define the character defects of some mushegener or mauvais sujet or mawworm. It's a great distraction for airmongers, chairwarmers and faineants who want a passive aggressive way to get back at any martinet.
Stamp your memory with a stash of these sobriquets, using them only at the apt occasion, and you might gain the rightful reputation of a philalethist. Just be careful... These days it's easy to acquire the reputation of a a lexiphanic blowhard.
I can't claim to have "read" this wonderfully entertaining dictionary straight through, but over the years I've probably read all of it. It's a "reference" I've kept handy in various locations for a while - the bathroom, by my desk at work - where I feel "armed" to precisely define the character defects of some mushegener or mauvais sujet or mawworm. It's a great distraction for airmongers, chairwarmers and faineants who want a passive aggressive way to get back at any martinet.
Stamp your memory with a stash of these sobriquets, using them only at the apt occasion, and you might gain the rightful reputation of a philalethist. Just be careful... These days it's easy to acquire the reputation of a a lexiphanic blowhard.
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