Nitpicking
September 2nd, 2007
SO someone used the search term “hypographia” to get to my blog. And I used the term to mean the opposite of “hypergraphia” which means the compulsion to write. There is a difference. Greek - ‘hyper’ as a prefix means ‘over’ ‘above,’ ‘beyond’, ‘hypo,’ ‘below’ ‘under’ ‘beneath’. Right - hypergraphia, compulsion to write, hypographia, struggle to write? Aren’t I clever? Sure way to make people look for everything you say that is wrong and stupid. Or just hate you. See, high school experience as the walking dictionary taught me something. But I hate that somebody might be searching for hypergraphia and find my hypographia and think that that is evidence for spelling it the other way. Stupid Greek to make two almost antonyms sound so similar. You cannot even find hypographia in the dictionary. Or not any dictionary I’ve ever used. (Careful with the qualifiers missy). Oh, though, I am in a horrible mood, and something about railing about word usage is so satisfying. I don’t even know why I am in a horrible mood. Yeah, I do. It’s the stupid television on. Too much of the time. Or the computer. Or the video games. This wasn’t how I was going to parent but everything I do or suggest looks kind of dull and stupid next to shooting aliens together on the game that was never going to be played in front of the kids. SO, they’re watching the idiot box, I’m bored and frustrated, and they’re going to grow up not knowing their Greek prefixes. And I should enjoy this time to myself, but instead am doing that lovely thing where I clean to show how annoyed I am (my mother and sister do this too). Not a clear way to send a message.
