Daily Archives: 12月 05, 2012

Alice-in-Wonderland

Alice-in-Wonderland adj
fantastic; irrational
Etymology: C20 alluding to the absurdities of Wonderland in Lewis Carroll’s book [CED]

Alice-in-Wonderland adj.
Illusory; unreal: “One wonders if historians… are caught up in an Alice-in-Wonderland world of their own making” (Zara Steiner). [AHD4]

‘But of course,’ she said, ‘it’s very unexpected for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, but the gospel is simply a catalogue of unexpected things. It’s not to be expected that an ox and an ass should worship at the crib. Animals are always doing the oddest things in the lives of the saints. It’s all part of the poetry, the Alice-in-Wonderland side, of religion.’

Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited, 1945

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journeyman

“I may not be a prentice anymore,” said Alvin, “but that don’t mean I’m a master. I’m just a journeyman.”

“Then hire on somewhere,” said Taleswapper. “You’ve still got things to learn.”

[…]

Go or stay, that’s up to you. But I can tell you this. Either you will go now, of your own free will, or you will go soon anyway, but not freely. You’re a journeyman smith ー you will have your journey.

[…]

“What’s your brother’s name?” asked Verily.

“Does that matter?” asked Calvin, a faint sneer in his voice. “Planning a visit to the backwoods soon?”

“Is that where you’re from? The backwoods?” asked Verily.

Calvin immediately backtracked. “Actually, no, I was exaggerating. My father was a miller.”

“How did the poor man die?” asked Verily.

“He’s not dead,” said Calvin.

“But you spoke of him in the past tense. As if he were no longer a miller.”

“He still runs a mill,” said Calvin.

“You still haven’t told me your brother’s name.”

“Same as my father’s. Alvin.”

“Alvin Miller?” asked Verily.

“Used to be. But in America we still change our names with our professions. He’s a journeyman smith now. Alvin Smith.”

“And you remain Calvin Miller because…”

“Because I haven’t chosen my life’s work yet.”

Orson Scott Card, The Tales of Alvin Maker IV : Alvin Journeyman, 1995.

journeyman n
old-fashioned
[Date: 1400-1500; Origin: journey ‘day’s work’ (13-19 centuries) + man]
1) a trained worker who works for someone else
2) an experienced worker whose work is acceptable but not excellent [LDCE]

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