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The Write Way 28 June 2002 The Tragedy Unfolds ... Greetings, "What a tragedy!" The words rang around the known world, echoing through living rooms and bars from Tibooburra to Timbucktoo and back ... What caused this universal cry of anguish? The outbreak of nuclear war? Floods and famines that killed thousands? Plagues and pestilence unleashed on the earth? Nup ... A player missed a goal in the World Cup ...
A "tragedy," Boys and Girls, is a play (usually in three acts) where the main character comes to grief because of a fatal flaw in his (or her) personality. It's also used to refer to any disaster that ends in loss of life ... but a missed goal? Mind you, a quick check in my trusty Webster's reveals some fascinating details about the origin of this word ... It comes from two Greek words, tragos - a he-goat and oide - a song ... or a ... "a goat singer!" See the connection now? No? Me neither ... let's have another look ... Hmmm ... it seems that once upon a time, whenever these old tragedies were performed (the plays that always ended in tears and sent the audience away thanking their lucky stars they hadn't fallen in love with their mothers etc), it was the custom to sacrifice a goat and sing a bit of a song before the play got under way - hence the term "part that comes after the goat-singer" or "tragedy." Another guess ... er ...theory is that goats were often offered as prizes for these performances (whether for the playwright or actors my source doesn't say) ... hence the term "goat-actors" or "tragedy!" Don't fancy that one either? OK, how about theory number three: Because these plays dealt with characters who were brought to ruin and suffered extreme sorrow as a consequence of their own tragic flaws, moral weaknesses or inability to cope with unfavourable circumstances, and because these were performed live, without the aid of the instant replay, they had to show how down and out on their luck they were, so they dressed in goat-skins ... hence the term "daggy, you-got-everything-you-deserved you, you, nasty person dressed in a goatskin you" or, "tragedy." I kid you not (pregnant pause inserted while you marvel at the pun ...) So maybe the word is more fittingly used to describe a missed goal after all. This plethora of football-fever around the world at the moment led, as it is wont to do, to contemplation of sports players and commentators. (Side note: I just had to look up 'plethora' at dictionary.com ... because you never know what you'll find and you're going to love this ... Two meanings are listed:
And I absolutely refuse to comment on the second ... Speaking, as we are, about sports commentators ...) Just to show that I'm fair-minded, I went looking for some bon mots from various sporty types - here are some doozies: In reference to another player's mental faculties, a Montreal Expos ball player, who was not named by the reporter replied, "He ain't no rocket surgeon." ”The word “genius” isn’t applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.” (Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback and sports analyst) That's the fastest time ever run - but it's not as fast as the world record. Here are some names to look forward to - perhaps in the future. The late start is due to the time. There'll be only one winner now - in every sense. 'If that had gone in, it would have been a goal.' And the last is for those fans who are still probably muttering, "If only ..." Don't tell those coming in the final result of that fantastic match, but let's just have another look at Italy's winning goal. Thanks to everyone who has sent along a donation to my Running Away Fund, I appreciate your comments as much as the money ;) "I've read it (the newsletter) for so many months at no cost that I have no problem coming up with $17 to support your effort. Thanks for an informative and humorous addition to my inbox each week." (Maureen Sullivan) If you've lost the details, here's how you can make a contribution ... (And I'll even send you a virtual box of goodies to thank you): 1. Pay by PayPal:
2. Click here to subscribe for a full year OR 3. Use your credit card on my secure order form: http://www.write101.com/fund.htm (You can also access the PayPal subscription link from this page if the link above didn't work for you. With PayPal, you can use your credit card, PayPal account or pay online using your own cheque account.) OR 4. Send a cheque: http://www.write101.com/fund.htm This week's quiz: A couple of weeks ago, I promised to help you write some killer words - so here are ten ways to write killer copy ... match 'em up: suicide, uxoricide, genocide, inovicide, fratricide, tomecide, verbicide, maritocide, matricide, deicide 1. deliberate distortion of the meaning of a word (as in a pun) or "violent treatment of a word with fatal results to its legitimate meaning" 2. killing of a wife 3. killing a husband 4. killing a brother 5. killing an entire race 6. killing a mother 7. taking your own life 8. killing a god 9. killing off a new idea 10. to destroy books If you're looking for ways to use some of these words, but can't work out how to get started, drop by the Writers' Hints page for some ideas. Here's a wonderful word I came across that didn't quite fit with the killer words but was just too good to save until next week ... nympholepsy. It means "a state of rapture", in particular "an ecstasy or frenzy of emotion inspired by something or someone unattainable" and is an 18th century word that describes the effect that attractive young women supposedly produce in men. This longing can also be produced by "a deeper longing than mere flesh and blood can produce." Now before you try to tell me that this is just a made-up word, I'll have you know that it was used by none other than our friend, Edward Bulwer-Lytton in his novel Godolfin. You remember Edward surely? He who penned that immortal line that began, "It was a dark and stormy night..." and gave his name to the Bulwer-Lytton Parody Competition? He wrote, "The most common disease of genius is nympholepsy-the saddening for a spirit that the world knows not." I imagine that those who suffer from nympholepsy would be nympholepsics rather than nymphomaniacs ... Last week's quiz: 1. the purifying of the emotions; purging the system - CATHARSIS 2. pompous, bombastic, pretentious - FUSTIAN 3. to prove a person or argument to be wrong - CONFUTE 4. a very strict disciplinarian; a stickler for rigid regulations - MARTINET 5. roundabout or devious - AMBAGIOUS (and no, it wasn't a typo for "ambiguous') 6. fixing or limiting expenses - SUMPTUARY 7. the condition of being dull or lethargic - HEBETUDE 8. a cave-dweller or person who lives in a low or degenerate manner - TROGLODYTE (I've always loved this word ...) 9. an unmarried person or one who advocates celibacy - AGAMIST 10.the onset of old age - SENESENCE Thanks to everyone who's dropped by to leave a message and stick a pin on the map - it's never too late: http://pub37.bravenet.com/guestmap/view.php?usernum=3170114826 Please encourage your friends and rellies to subscribe - just send them this link: mailto:WritingTips-subscribe@yahoogroups.com It's much easier than you having to forward the newsletter to them every week. A Little Something Extra ... Tension. Without it, life would be--let's face it--boring. So would fiction. Tension works with conflict to raise the emotional level of the text to a boiling point. It forces the reader to become invested in the story. But many children's book writers are afraid to apply too much tension to their plots. They think kids can't handle it. Think again. Read why "tension" is a crucial ingredient in every book. Oxymoron: exciting game (when used with reference to any activity that involves bats, balls, lumps of pigskin, goal posts, nets ... well, you get the picture) Word of the week: Pucket (n) the collective noun for caterpillars. A 1669 definition says that puckets are 'nests of Caterpillars, or such like Vermine'. I heard a suggestion that this would be an excellent term to use to describe politicians ..."a pucket of politicians." Yep that works for me! Hmm ... a Latin phrase that serves as a warning to me? Non ludure cum sacris (Do not trifle with
sacred things) Jennifer Click here to subscribe for the next year: To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: mailto:WritingTips-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com or go to the web site, at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WritingTips This menu will also let you change your subscription between digest and normal mode. |
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