Month: March 2000
Gamin
From the Dictionary of American Regional English, a publication I highly recommend. If your local library does not have it, you might encourage them to consider purchasing it. “gaum” v2 Alsp sp gawm, gorm [EDD gaum v.4 “To stare idly or vacantly.. gape.. be stupid, awkward”] chiefly NEng Cf gaming adj 1. with “around”: To…
Grade
Comments written on a 700-word American literature essay just returned by my instructor M. Smith, the kind of graduate student who stares at the floor when he lectures. First paragraph: “Excellent gloss.” Second paragraph: “Good.” Words underlined. “Good.” Fourth paragraph: “Excellent.” Then, suddenly: “Have you shown this? How does this fit into your argument?” Sixth…
Tourists
I thought, for just a second, that you were talking about Union Square in New York, say, a hundred years ago when it still had cable cars and they would come ripping around Deadman’s Curve where Broadway and 14th Street rails used to do an insane jog and jerk. Used to kill, like, a dozen…