Still more unusual verbs
As promised in my mid-day post, here are five more "unusual verbs", formed by taking the names of famous authors, then finding (and in some cases modifying slightly) quotes they wrote to define what their name would mean if used as a verb. And yes, I started this nonsense in response to a suggestion from writerjenn in the comments to yesterday's post about Shakespeare in June.
This morning I posted definitions for the verbs "To Shakespeare" and "To Austen". This afternoon's post was dedicated to "To Wordsworth" and "To Dickens". This evening's post defines "To Chandler", "To Brontë", "To Frost", "To Tolkien", and "To Rowling". (The authors are Raymond Chandler, all three Brontë sisters, Robert Frost, J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling - not that I think the last two needed their initials, and really, I was just making clear that Frost was based on the man, and not on icing cakes.)
To Chandler (v.): 1) to have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand; 2) to curl your hair, make your nerves jump and your skin itch; 3) to look about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food; 4) to talk with rude wit, a lively sense of the grotesque, a disgust for sham, and a contempt for pettiness; 5) to need a drink.
1. Introduction to The Simple Art of Murder, a short story collection
2. "Red Wind"
3. Farewell My Lovely
4. An essay in Atlantic Monthly, November 1945
5. Farewell My Lovely
To Brontë (v.): 1) to find servile corruption in one's own mind; 2) to dream dreams that alter the colour of one's mind; 3) to candidly lay before the public what one would not disclose to the closest friend; 4) to desire more of practical experience than one possesses; 5) to be a free human being with an independent will.
1. "I Am the Only Being", Emily Brontë
2. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
3. Agnes Grey, Anne Brontë
4. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
5. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
To Frost (v.): 1) to forgive the nonsense of those who think they talk sense; 2) to take the road less travelled by; 3) to be a swinger of birches; 4) to walk out in rain, and back in rain; 5) to have a lover's quarrel with the world; 6) to begin in delight and end in wisdom.
1. Letter to Louis Untermeyer dated July 8, 1915
2. "The Road Not Taken"
3. "Birches"
4. "Acquainted With the Night"
5. "The Lesson for Today"
6. Essay, "The Figure a Poem Makes"
To Tolkien (v.): 1) to take to writing poetry and visiting the elves; 2) to have a burning private grudge against that ruddy little ignoramus Adolph Hitler; 3) to try one's hand at a really long story that would hold the attention of readers, amuse them, delight them, and at times maybe excite them or deeply move them; 4) to like less than half of you as well as you deserve; 5) to not be hasty; 6) to be wise enough to know that there are some perils from which one must flee; 7) to take the hidden paths that run West of the Moon, East of the Sun.
1. The Hobbit
2. Letter to Michael Tolkien dated June 9, 1941
3. Foreword to the Second Edition of The Lord of the Rings
4. The Fellowship of the Rings
5. The Two Towers
6. The Two Towers
7. The Return of the King
To Rowling (v.): 1) to be perfectly normal, thank you very much; 2) to not trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain; 3) to solemnly swear one is up to no good; 4) to have better things to do than listen to adolescent agonizing; 5) to know that there are far, far worse things in the living world than dying; 6) to write what you want to write
1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
6. Interview with Melissa Anelli for Harry, A History
This morning I posted definitions for the verbs "To Shakespeare" and "To Austen". This afternoon's post was dedicated to "To Wordsworth" and "To Dickens". This evening's post defines "To Chandler", "To Brontë", "To Frost", "To Tolkien", and "To Rowling". (The authors are Raymond Chandler, all three Brontë sisters, Robert Frost, J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling - not that I think the last two needed their initials, and really, I was just making clear that Frost was based on the man, and not on icing cakes.)
To Chandler (v.): 1) to have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand; 2) to curl your hair, make your nerves jump and your skin itch; 3) to look about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food; 4) to talk with rude wit, a lively sense of the grotesque, a disgust for sham, and a contempt for pettiness; 5) to need a drink.
1. Introduction to The Simple Art of Murder, a short story collection
2. "Red Wind"
3. Farewell My Lovely
4. An essay in Atlantic Monthly, November 1945
5. Farewell My Lovely
To Brontë (v.): 1) to find servile corruption in one's own mind; 2) to dream dreams that alter the colour of one's mind; 3) to candidly lay before the public what one would not disclose to the closest friend; 4) to desire more of practical experience than one possesses; 5) to be a free human being with an independent will.
1. "I Am the Only Being", Emily Brontë
2. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
3. Agnes Grey, Anne Brontë
4. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
5. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
To Frost (v.): 1) to forgive the nonsense of those who think they talk sense; 2) to take the road less travelled by; 3) to be a swinger of birches; 4) to walk out in rain, and back in rain; 5) to have a lover's quarrel with the world; 6) to begin in delight and end in wisdom.
1. Letter to Louis Untermeyer dated July 8, 1915
2. "The Road Not Taken"
3. "Birches"
4. "Acquainted With the Night"
5. "The Lesson for Today"
6. Essay, "The Figure a Poem Makes"
To Tolkien (v.): 1) to take to writing poetry and visiting the elves; 2) to have a burning private grudge against that ruddy little ignoramus Adolph Hitler; 3) to try one's hand at a really long story that would hold the attention of readers, amuse them, delight them, and at times maybe excite them or deeply move them; 4) to like less than half of you as well as you deserve; 5) to not be hasty; 6) to be wise enough to know that there are some perils from which one must flee; 7) to take the hidden paths that run West of the Moon, East of the Sun.
1. The Hobbit
2. Letter to Michael Tolkien dated June 9, 1941
3. Foreword to the Second Edition of The Lord of the Rings
4. The Fellowship of the Rings
5. The Two Towers
6. The Two Towers
7. The Return of the King
To Rowling (v.): 1) to be perfectly normal, thank you very much; 2) to not trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain; 3) to solemnly swear one is up to no good; 4) to have better things to do than listen to adolescent agonizing; 5) to know that there are far, far worse things in the living world than dying; 6) to write what you want to write
1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
6. Interview with Melissa Anelli for Harry, A History