Dictionary Extended

Have you ever been in a situation where you cannot come up with a word because there is no word for the thing you want to express, that ideally should exist? 

For example; in The English language, there is no word for, to not look, to not hear, plural you ( We use terms such as "y'all" & "you all" instead.), etc. There are quite a few lacks of exact word in other languages as well. 

This accidental gap is called lexical gap, lacuna, or a hole in the pattern, is a word or other form that does not exist in some language but which would be permitted by the grammatical rules of the language. 

In this blog, I coin some words for the things, feeling, situations that I think should be worded. Feel free to include. 

harenplayar /hair-uh-n-plahy-uh/ verb to get your clothes filled with a lot of sand while visiting a beach.  Sand often finds comfort in the folds and pockets of garments. harenplayaring (Gerund) majorly occurs when one forgets fo take a bathing suit. 

"Oh no! I will stay in the car, my bar is not designed for the beach. It is very prone to get harenplayar"

drakecholy /dr-ɪk-kəli/ noun a sadly confused state of mind that occur after break-ups. it is archetypical of Hotline bling situation; especially when you are supposed to be the girl from hotline blink but unfortunately, you feel like a sadder version of Drake from the same. drakecholic adjective affected with, characterized by, or showing drakecholy

"Why are you still stalking her on facebook! are you drakecholic, bro?"

dowódfauxer /th-uh-voo-th-fəʊ-uh/  noun a person or a group on the internet forum supporting their argument with a link that leads to an opinionated blog, and hence cannot be taken seriously. Legends have it that such people have been employed throughout history to perpetuate propaganda. Such people are often regarded highly unreliable personally as well. 

"I wouldn't believe a thing Trump says on twitter, he is a notorious dowódfauxer!"

novrap /naʊ-rap / noun an object that has lost its origin purpose and is now being used in an additional improvised use. eg discarded buckets to use as planting pot, an old toothbrush being used to clean, etc. verb;. novraped, novrap·ing, novraps : the usage of the verb form of this word is tricky, experts say that it is mandatory that the new use of specific novrap is mentioned before in the conversation, to avoid awkwardness. 

"Don't throw my old laptop bag, mom. I use it for grocery shopping, that is a novrap. OMG! for god's sake stop cleaning my apartment! I am not a child anymore."

exmuglizing /ɪk-məg-ahyz/ verb looking for answers in a mug-full of ice-cream eaten sloppily to in order to solve intricate emotional worries. It is an act mostly done in a deluded sad state of mind, late at night mostly. Your BFFs may try disillusioning you but they will come across as jerks. ( Such is the seriousness of the delusion. ) 

 "Stop comforting yourself with exmuglizing, sleep now we will deal with it in the morning."

Musing The Meaning of Liff series by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd

Cover Of Books: Case Study

We often hear in conversations "Don't judge a book by its cover". Metaphorically it intends to say "you shouldn't prejudge the worth or value of something, by its outward appearance alone". If taken metaphorically, It is a very good advice.However, is it true literally too?

Apparent origin of this Phase goes back to Piqua Democrat, June 1867: "Don't judge a book by its cover, see a man by his cloth, as there is often a good deal of solid worth and superior skill underneath a jacket and yaller pants."

Sure, A cover is an exhibit but, covers are deliberately designed to give a showcase to the content. It is intending to guide you to your next favorite book. I admit more than often it  fails to do the trick

There goes in a lot of work into designing a perfect cover for books. The cover is one of the major players in the marketing strategy of a book. Attracting the target readers and drawing attention is crucial for a book's success. From layout, typography, image and color everything is deliberately decided.

Further, in this post, I will analyze some book covers. If you are spoiler sensitive, I  would take this opportunity to inform you that it may contain spoilers.

The Catcher in The Rye by J.D. Salinger

On a closer look, the cover tells a lot about content. This cover has a rather, plain typography and a quaint color scheme. It is aesthetically pleasing and looks even better as the book ages. My copy of The Cather in Rye had another cover. However, this cover bewildered me. Initially,  I was presuming it to be a depiction of Horse from the advertisement of "Pencey Prep". I wondered where was the "hotshot guy on a horse" as mentioned in the book. I couldn't understand. Then after looking closely, I realized it is a Carrousel. J.D.Salinger does it again, subliminal symbolism. Carrousel in this book represents Holden's (The protagonist) "Happy Place".  The Cover is limning the part in the book where Holden looks at the Carrousel and narrates. 

"Then the carousel started ... All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she'd fall off the goddam horse, but I didn't say anything or do anything. The thing with kids is, if they want to grab the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them."

The cover depicts the moment of one of the literature's iconic denouement. As the narration proceeds, Holden expresses his feelings.

"I was damn near bawling, I felt so damn happy if you want to know the truth. I don't know why. It was just that she looked so damn nice, the way she kept going around and around, in her blue coat and all. God, I wish you could've been there." 

Holden wishes the readers could be there and the cover of the book indeed attempts to take us there... Isn't it a beautiful idea?

Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

This cover is peculiar. It breaks all the conventions of cover design, yet ironically fits perfectly within the Idea of the book. The book revolves around the theme of misfits, what could be a better approach to emphasize it then an uneven typography. There is no capitalization in the cover indicating naive approach yet, it is innocuous. It gives away a sense that the Initials are trying to blend in the words that follow. To me, it strongly indicates confused and unformed ideas. Something that is as nascent as a first-draft, #young. 

The protagonist in this book is a Wallflower: a person who from shyness or unpopularity remains on the sidelines of a social activity (as a dance). This cover personifies this definition. While the background is flashy green, subject/ imagery is dull and sided. Pretty much like Charlie's (Protagonist) character preferred to be. In a similar way, the sided image is yet more complicated and profound than the flashy green background. Charlie, in the book, has a knack to analyze things from a unique point of view, this is very thoughtfully indicated on the cover. 

The picture selected is also very interesting, Old-timey and soft color scheme displaying a young boy. The lack of a face is interesting as it makes one curious, yet the pose expresses young adult-ish disquiet.  It indicates, yet not explicitly, that sexuality is to be exploration. Moreover, the frame of indicated sexuality is rather slavish and scary. 

Lastly, I will discuss the dilemma of designing the cover of Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. There have been numerous covers of the same, many of which puts Lolita in an explicitly sexualized way. Which is unfair to project as it validifies Humbert's opinion on lolita being corrupt, but is not evident to be true.  Humbert is the notoriously unreliable narrator and the novel gives a little narrative of what Lolita is personally like. The way Humbert's prose sells a sexual image of lolita is brilliant but his motive is to free himself from the judging eyes of the readers.

This design problem is explored in a book Lolita: The Story of a Cover Girl. Out of many covers designed so far (some brilliant and others corny) 





I have Included few covers that I like in this post.These covers look innocent yet reflect the sexual nature of the book in a subliminal manner. That I find smart as a whip. 

To read the rules employed in a book cover design visit here.

Find me on the following; #SocialMedia 

YouTube 

Twitter 
Instagram 
Goodreads 
Tumblr

Banned Books

 I am quite anti-censorship and the banning of books is one of the most annoying things that civilization has come up with. It is akin to validifying someone's thoughts. Yeah, those thoughts got published as books but they started as thoughts and ideas at the very core. It is so 1984-ish (George Orwell's) thought control. Strange how they, people who challenge books to be banned, are afraid of thought being spread! 

Are Ideas so exclusive that they can be buried under Banned tags?

I believe that ideas are not something that can only spread by exchanging. Ideas do ignite and evolve on its own. Most importantly thoughts are not exclusive! Many people can come up with same ideas without ever coming across each other. For example the invention of Airplanes, many people were working on the same mechanism during that era. It was a matter calibration and execution that, the Wright Brothers got that achievement's medal pinned on by history. However, we can rest assured that we were bound to get a flight sooner or later. 

Here are some of the books that are/were banned and are often frequently challenged on the grounds of "offending" Religion, Sexuality, and Political Opinion.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi: In 2013, banned in Chicago classrooms for gambling, offensive language, political and religious viewpoints. It was also considered to have “politically, racially, and socially offensive,” graphic depictions. This book is most challenged book almost every year.

My Opinion: Enjoyable and incite-full. It is a memoir told in the form of graphic novel. The book gives you first-hand depiction of Islamic Revolution and life one family in Iran. The story speaks very strongly for education and condemns fundamentalism. 

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: This book was banned in Ireland (1953) for profanity and using God's name in vain. Another most frequent reason for the banning of this book is because of euthanasia.

My Opinion: This book just gives me the feels! There is a strange sense of impending hope throughout the novella. It has a somewhat sad tone but yet it keeps the track filled with anticipate. 

Candide by Voltaire: In 1930, U.S. Customs seized Harvard-bound copies of Candide, claiming obscenity. 

My opinion: Not outrightly banned, (or is it?) but yet detained from entering the country. well, about the book; I loved it. It's witty and satirical. However, most of all it is short yet encapsulates so many things! It feels like it was too short of a book to include so much content. It delivers more than written words, Wonderful and Impressive!  Especially considering the fact that this book was written barely three days by Voltaire.
Animal Farm by George Orwell:  It was banned in the USSR and other communist countries, In 2002, the novel was banned in the schools of the United Arab Emirates, because it contained text and/or images that are against Islamic values My opinion: I loved this book. One of my favorite classics. Absolutely brilliant. The writing is wonderful, the way this story is told is fascinating. George Orwell's book 1984 was also banned for political reasons. However, his dystopian worlds are the epitome of what could go wrong in social and political structures. Banning these books seems like a propaganda to push aside revoking of political ideas. No denying there may be some an ugly side to the social and political structure, but things are not just black and white. Balance is the key. Moreover, religious banning is beyond comprehension for me.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: It was Formerly banned in China, beginning for its portrayal of anthropomorphism. Considering that attributing human language to animals was an insult to humans. My Opinion: Banned for What! Goodness! I enjoyed reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, It was a very beautiful depiction of a child's mind with no boundaries and depiction of a fairytale-like world. Lewis Carrol did know what goes inside a child's mind and fantasies. Speaking of Lewis Carroll, He was a bit scandalous. “I always call him Lewis Carroll Carroll, because he was the first Humbert Humbert.” ~ Vladimir Nabokov (author of Lolita)If you know what I mean, if you don't know what I mean, google it. Trigger Warning Pedophilia 

The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank: This book is banned in Libanon for its positive depiction of Jews. 

My Opinion:  I cannot fathom the reason for this ban, I understand the underlining religious disharmony but come on Libanon! Also, Frank's diary is edited for sexual content, I have read the edited copy and unabridged copies are available nowadays.  

Looks like I can go on and on with this list! 

PS for more information on banned books visit here

Anxiety

Art By

Should I or Should I not...Ugh! Why do I over-analyse so much!

The voice in my head: Because you are commitment phobic. Bitch!

I swear if only, I could kill this voice! That voice, by the way, is Anxiety. Say "Hello!" to the good reader Anxiety.

Anxiety: Good-err-Happy-Birthday-Whatever!

So now you got an idea what I have to live with. Great! I was thinking about participating in AtoZ blogging Challenge this year but was worried about being bored with it before getting to "z" and dropping it midway. Last night when my sister asked me if I will be participating in the challenge, I was still unsure ...So this morning as I had my first cup of coffee and thought about it. And Immediately I was drawn back into a heated canvass with my good friend Anxiety over; What to write?, Why constrained to specific alphabets?, If I take one thing at a time, what should I write about that starts with an "A"?

The voice in my head: Apple?, Andromeda Galaxy?, Anti-nationals?, I know Antarctica! We love Antarctica! Can't wait to freak you out, while we cross the Drake Passage... blah blah blah!  

Yeah, So the voice aka Anxiety is not helping. I chuckled at the Irony. A for Anxiety! Eureka! Epiphany!  Anxiety Is a normal response to a stressful or dangerous situation. Anxiety Disorder is not the same as a normal response to a fight or flight situation. It is something persistent (minimum of 6 months for clinical diagnosis) and interferes with one's ability to lead a normal life. There are six types of Anxiety Disorders each has different symptoms.

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Panic Disorder 
• Phobia 
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Social Anxiety Disorder.

The Anxiety Disorder is diagnosed by medical professionals via extensive questioners and can be treated by medication and/or therapy. The cause of Anxiety Disorder is not clear yet but it is considered partly genetic by many experts. 

The epitome of someone suffering from Anxiety Disorder from my childhood is Piglet from Winnie the Pooh. Piglet is considered in the category of someone suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder. 

Let us do a brief analysis of what happens inside Piglet's brain, (assuming his brain works in a human fashion). The major player in his condition is Amygdalae, Amygdalae are two almond-shaped structure located in the brain. They are the part of the limbic system which is responsible for emotional reactions. When emotional reactions are triggered, the amygdala tells the hypothalamus to initiate the flight or fight response. This results in the release of Epinephrin (hormone), which increases body's heart-rate and blood pressure. The sympathetic nervous system then kicks into overdrive and produces symptoms of a Panic attack. Piglet, with his Generalized Anxiety Disorder, according to some experts has a condition in which the amygdalae are less connected to the parts of the brain that determine the importance of certain stimuli. This makes it harder for Piglet to identify a real threat from something that is just annoying. Hence, our little Piglet is so afraid of everyday activities.

Plugging in a Poem; I wrote about "Anxiety, Writing a Poem" on my Tumblr Blog    

When anxiety sits to write poetry
My soul aches for 
Rhyme and symmetry 
She scribbles and dabble over self-esteem 
Then goes right back to 

Some sexy dreams

When anxiety sits to write poetry
She pores the paper with
Her hopes and worries 

For more information on Anxiety Disorder, I highly recommend this episode of Crash Course Psychology by the wonderful Hank Green.  

Find me on the following; #SocialMedia

YouTube
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
Tumblr

Announcement Of Participation!

Here, is my Formal announcement that I will be participating in the A to Z Challenge.

I will not be following any specific theme. 
The A to Z blogging challenge was started by Arlee Bird. The Challenge is posting every day in April except Sundays and since there are 26 days, that matches the 26 letters of the alphabet. On April 1, blog about something that begins with the letter “A.” April 2 is “B,” April 4 is “C,” and so on. More information on the challenge Here. 

I hope I follow through! (fingers-crossed) Or else I will just Unpublish this post and pretend it never happened. 

Cheers and Best Wishes!
Find me on the following; #SocialMedia
YouTube 
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
Tumblr

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A story of passionate love and fanatic revenge. So many people dislike a book because the characters portrayed in it are unlikeable! I cannot comprehend this judgment of a book being good or bad resting on the shoulders of the fictional characters and their likeability. For me, it is more intriguing to explore the prospects of dark characters and their emotions.Moreover, the crudeness of raw emotions and actions depicted in this book perhaps reflects the life and times of 1800 era.

I liked the way Emily Bronte has bounded the story in a subliminal explanation, that does seem unnecessary to some. However, (I reckon) it is employed consciously to the subconscious of readers to support the writer's description of events and surroundings. The tiresome details of surroundings not only make the story more vivid in reader's mind but also bolsters the state of affairs of the scene. Likewise, the contrast between the two households is a good symbolism and reflects the mood and culture of the bearer of the place.

The story and emotions in this book are not quite simple to be judged by a bare 'good' or 'bad' it reflects complications and hue of human emotions followed by fanatical/(or rather well thought off) cacoethes.The dynamics of the relationship in this book was unfit/unhealthy and yet exploring the relationship gone bad was interesting. I would restrain from disclosing more in an attempt to conceal the spoilers...

I enjoyed reading it.


View all my reviews

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's an interesting read, the protagonist speaks to a crowd and the reader experiences it's being directed to them as well. The Protagonist, a wise man, talks about a way of living and about the common themes such as friendship, love, pleasure, pain, etc. It teaches about a balanced way of living, in a beautiful prose. The expression is simplest yet metaphors used are clever and admirable.
The "preaching" is about finding equilibrium in life and being a better human yourself rather than seeking outside conditions be to make life better for you. The Prophet talks about being a better person towards others (if done collectively could turn life pleasant for everyone). It tells about compassion and empathy. Moreover, it infers that being judgemental towards others is not a good practice. It can be deemed into a spiritual book but not religious. However, It talks about "God" but not in a morphic-ish state.
I recommended this book, it indeed is a masterpiece and a must read.


View all my reviews