Stephen Fry's long words

[robert551069]

I have just started reading "The Fry Chronicles" and am on page 23 of 284.
So far, I have had to consult a dictionary to find the meaning of:-
ASPERITY, meaning roughness, NARCOLEPSY, meaning excessive daytime sleepiness, LACUNAE, empty space, missing part, SOLIPSTISTIC, the theory that the self is the only thing that can be known or verified.

[FredPuli43]

Fowler was the great one for being against grandiosity, the habit of using long or obscure words when the simple, familiar one would serve. Someone who says "I feel esurient" when he's very hungry (it means 'voracious'') , would be doing that, but it's commonest use is in 'officialdom' when jobs and ordinary actions are given grand titles.

Nothing wrong with using a different word, for variety, simply as an alternative, or when there is no other which gives the precise meaning desired. All the words cited fit those criteria. Do dislike vogue words though: trope and meme are my current dislikes.

[Tilly2]

Not if you've got a decent dictionary, bibble.

[bibblebub]

or your tongue reaches further into the depths

[shooty]

French kissing ?

[bibblebub]

gallic osculation is a bit of a mouthful

[EvianBaby]

I'm a bit of a thicko (as some of my more recent posts will confirm) and found when I read Moab is my Washpot there were loads of words I'd never heard of before but in most cases it was easy to realise what they meant when you read them in context.

[FredPuli43]

True, evian, but there may be risks in that. As a teenager , i thought 'reactionary' meant 'against what was done before', because it sounded like 'reaction' in chemistry and that reaction always changed what had been before. In the context I heard it in , 'reactionary' was always about someone complaining about something, just like me at that age, so I thought it was for change!

And 'chronic' was commonly understood as 'very bad' or even 'acute' because doctors used it of illnesses which were bad, when they meant 'of long duration' which was often true of a bad illness.

[RATTER15]

Yes He does use some long words, I love to hear his talks, he is a great speaker, especially when he goes off on one over religion! He does it sooo well!!

[heathfield]

At least you're reading and learning, Robert - unlike many youngsters of today, it seems.

[jno]

EvianBaby
I'm a bit of a thicko

FredPuli43
True, evian

This could mean war!

[FredPuli43]

Right, evian. Perrier bottles at dawn!

[Canary42]

If you carry on at that rate then I estimate that you will have learnt about 50 new words by the time you have finished the book - surely a benefit.

[DaisyNonna]

Why not enjoy using new words? I am delighted when I can find a use for my dictionary other than as a doorstop. Not warm enough yet to need one.

[HowardKennitby]

I find the problem with SF's books is that it is difficult to take them to the park etc as the required dictionary is usually about 5 times the size of the actual book.

[DaisyNonna]

Bibblebub, no!

[Flyhalf]

In the long ago days of working, we had a section who "advised" the untrained such as myself at that stage of my career on the impact on our work of a limited range of legal documents. One of them loved using words like lacuna and otiose, presumably to demonstrate erudition (oops, I'm just as guilty), but we simply thought he was a prat, and preferred plain English.
However, the ubiquitous (there I go again) Mr Fry has a far different audience, and is entitled to sprinkle his works with words unfamiliar to many, and as others have said, that's how we learn. Wouldn't we be disappointed if he simply used colloquial expressions?