"That's a great deal to make one word mean," Alice said in a thoughtful tone. "When I make a word do a lot of work like that," said Humpty Dumpty, "I always pay it extra."

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Elucubration

   Elucubration (sadly now obsolete) meant studying or writing something useful by candlelight or while staying up late. 

Rather like me at this moment except that my candles are electric light bulbs and I've actually got up early rather than stayed up late - so, actually, nothing at all like me. 

5 comments:

  1. My eyesight is too bad for me to elucubrate... is there a word for the opposite, studying or writing while being up very early?

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  2. Well you certainly made me laugh late at night and by the light of the modern long-life bulb.

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  3. I'm in line with Meike's comment about eyesight. However, I love the mental warmth radiated by candle light.

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  4. Ah, so that's what i was doing all through college! And that's what Bigger Girl does now. The best ideas for essays seem to come when staying up late to write them.

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  5. I can still be caught doing that, but I have to say "late" is relative these days.

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