The word of the day for January 18, 2008 is "inundate" — transitive verb — 1 : to cover with a flood : overflow. 2 : overwhelm [was inundated with phone calls].
Although Sybil didn't ask for this word, I think it apropos for her situation. She commented the other day that the bridge over the bye brook is in danger of going underwater. At least her new Kangoo has axles high enough to keep her out of the drink.
When I was young I belonged to the Camp Fire Girls (an American version of the Girl Guides or Girl Scouts). Our summer camp was Hantesa on the Iowa River. The road to the camp wound through Ledges State Park, fording a small tributary to the Iowa River several times. The camp staff had standing instructions that, if it began to rain while out hiking, they were to head for high ground immediately. Wet girls are more easily dealt with than drowned ones. After a particularly rainy year, culminating in a flood, the campers were no longer allowed to sing/perform "Ah Oonie Coonie Cha," which is a Cameroon rain chant.
The quote for today is from Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), U.S. essayist, poet, philosopher. “Goethe; or, the Writer,” Representative Men (1850):
In the learned journal, in the influential newspaper, I discern no form; only
some irresponsible shadow; oftener some monied corporation, or some
dangler, who hopes, in the mask and robes of his paragraph, to pass for
somebody. But through every clause and part of speech of the right book
I meet the eyes of the most determined men; his force and terror inundate
every word: the commas and dashes are alive; so that the writing is athletic
and nimble,—can go far and live long.
;^) Jan
Tags: inundate
1 comment:
Sorry to be late in commenting! think the rain has got into the 'puter..I was off line for over 24hrs...disaster !! now I am inudated with journals to check out !! and it is still RAINING !!! love SYbil xx
Post a Comment