🤬 or the dutch disease

Not to be confused with the economists’ coinage or this other economic hysteria attributed to the Low Country, we find ourselves directed to a pair of articles on Dutch curses—which tend not to fixate on the social taboos of religion (see also these fantastic French Canadian swears) sex and other bodily functions, but rather on illness.
For a proper telling-off, one might be called poxy or told to get consumption (krijg de tering), and witnessing the deserved misfortune of a rival, one might laugh oneself into pleurisy (lachen je de pleuris) and so forth. There are competing theories about how this might have arisen, the chief being that health and hygiene reflected virtue and prosperity—indeed that cleanliness was next to godliness, and it seems even as a lot of these maladies are antiquated and vanquished to be circumspect to keep terms for old ailments fossilised in common-parlance. The typographical universal stand-ins for profane language are called grawlixes—a term thought up by illustrator Mort Walker in his 1980 Lexicon of Comicana that examined some of the conventions (see also) employed by cartoonists. Another coinage from the same source—though perhaps not as widely used are plewds, the name giving to droplets of sweat emanating from a physically taxed or emotional distressed character.

and the word mini

Via friend of the blog, Nag on the Lake, we are directed towards this set of spot the difference games from the museum and gallery consortium Europeana with this works of fine art altered in eight subtle ways for you to puzzle out.

 Each round is fiendishly busy with a lot of details to pour over but we really liked The Merry Family (Het vrolijke huisgezin, 1668) by Jan Havicksz Steen which resides in the Rijksmuseum. This colourful and boisterous scene is typical of the Dutch Golden Age painter’s portfolio—including Peasants before an Inn, Woman at her Toilet, Rhetoricians at a Window, and A Burgomaster of Delft and his Daughter—and the note hanging from the mantle sums up the situation: “As the old sing, so shall the young twitter.” See if you are able to find all eight changes in eight pairs of paintings.

for the nonce: goatforsaken

The Ancient Greek word αἰγίλιψ (aigílips) to flatten the metaphor means steep or sheer and literally a place “destitute even of goats,” sure-footed as they might be.  Homer’s Odyssey includes this epithet as an island in the Ionian Sea near Ithaca and part of the titular character’s dominion whose modern name is Μεγανήσι (Meganisi)—meaning rather unprosaically Big Island.

the majesty of nature

Via Memo of the Air (lots of other excellent and enlightened diversions to find here as well), we are directed to a growing gallery of failed attempts at wildlife photography (see also here and here) that are exquisitely bad and sure to incite a grin at the very least if not inspiring you to go on your own backyard photographic safari with our animal friends getting a bit bolder now that we are all shut-ins.

pathogenesis

Putting a spotlight on another overlooked contribution to medical science, we appreciated learning about the life and career of Scottish virologist June Dalziel Almeida (*1930 – †2007) whose pioneering achievements in virus imaging not only led to improvements in faster identification and diagnosis but also put electron microscopy into the quivers of medical researchers and investigators. Her insights advanced later immunotherapies to combat hepatitis, HIV and rubella—as well as other viral diseases and in 1966, Almeida isolated and identified a previously unknown category that came to be known as the coronavirus.

saint expeditus

The Calendar of the Saints venerates on this day a Roman centurion stationed in Armenia-Minor called Expeditus on the occasion of his martyrdom for converting to Christianity (†303 AD) and despite some disagreement on the authenticity of his name—it may have been a misreading or an anonymous victim as it is also Latin for a soldier marching without heavy equipment, tradition has nonetheless accorded this legion commander with the patronage of law professionals pushing for an expedient trial, car dealers, shipping companies and other traders seeking an expeditious solution and students and auditors praying for a quick turn-around and delivery of results—and invoked against delay and procrastination. Expeditus’ iconography, bearing a cross with the word hodie (Latin for today) and trampling on a crow with the onomatopoeic speech balloon Cras! (tomorrow, see above) is from a story told about his contemplating conversion and how Satan, in the form of a beguiling bird, tried to convince him to delay his decision until another time with the soldier resisting the temptation and resolving to affirm his faith right away.  Though not universally observed, there is some precedent for settling long outstanding legal cases on this day,  especially in place where the cult of the saint has a strong following. 

mister resetti

A talented cartomancer called Silkirose is creating a tarot deck (see also here, here, here, here, here and here) whose Major Arcana, greater secrets, features characters from Animal Crossing.
Admittedly while I like the idea of social simulations in video games, world-building and civic-engineering, the social platform and the idea of inhabiting that world with others is kind of a turn-off, though this title from Nintendo (see previously) with all its possibilities for mirroring the real life does seem worthwhile, worth looking into and genuinely relieving.

touched by an angle

Our gratitude to Things Magazine once again for catching this fantastic update we overlooked from our friends over at McMansion Hell (see previously here and here) with this vintage 1973 edition and this garrulous real estate listing that hits all the resounding features and elements: lawyer foyer, Olive Garden bar, trypophobic wine rack, etc. Check out both Kate Wagner’s blog for a tour of the entire property and the source link up top for much, much more.