Friday 24 June 2011

Word of the week #8


Yesterday I published a link to a review/analysis of Ratatouille which was written for Flixist. If an opportunity presents itself, I enjoy trying to give my reviews a theme or tone related to the subject in question. In the case of Ratatouille, I was aiming for the article to read as though listening to a self-satisfied chef talking up the wonders of his menu. As one of the Flixist commenters said, I think I ended up laying on the elevated tone a bit thick and though I don't think the article came out badly per se, the deliberate pretentions were overplayed and made it more difficult to read than I would have liked.

Handily enough, I came across a word a long time ago which pretty much describes how my writing must have seemed to anyone arriving at it for the first time with the Ratatouille piece. (Or at least, I hope the rest of my other work doesn't read that way). Hopefully I've learnt from past mistakes now, and no-one will ever have the opportunity to apply this word to me! Your word of the week is...
  
Aeolist 

Noun: Someone who adopts a pompous tone as a pretence of inspiration or intellect. Given the normal reactions to such people, it's appropriate that the word is an anagram of 'isolate'. Pronounced ee-uh-list.

Example: Certain French philosophers deliberately used incomprehensible language to obscure their point. A typically aeolist attitude from the cheese-eating surrender monkeys.

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