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Search results for tag #literature

[?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
@TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

JAKES. A house of office, a cacatorium.

A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

--
@histodons

Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): JAKES. A house of office, a cacatorium. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): JAKES. A house of office, a cacatorium. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

    [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
    @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

    Honoré de Balzac’s La Comédie Humaine is a Hindu mandala

    The 19th-century novelist Honoré de Balzac was Catholic, French to the core and obsessed with the material details of French society. Yet there is something profoundly Hindu in the way he sought to understand the world.

    by Harsh Trivedi (from the archives)

    theconversation.com/honore-de-

    Books by Balzac at PG:
    gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/251

    Title page of Honoré de Balzac's Cousin Bette (1846). It is showing a woman in dark mourning-style dress sitting on a stool beside a bed, watching over a figure lying beneath the covers in a sparse attic room with exposed wooden beams and a small skylight.

    Alt...Title page of Honoré de Balzac's Cousin Bette (1846). It is showing a woman in dark mourning-style dress sitting on a stool beside a bed, watching over a figure lying beneath the covers in a sparse attic room with exposed wooden beams and a small skylight.

      [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
      @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

      KILKENNY. An old frize coat.

      A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

      --
      @histodons

      Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): KILKENNY. An old frize coat. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

      Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): KILKENNY. An old frize coat. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

        [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
        @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

        BARTHOLOMEW BABY. A person dressed up in a tawdry manner, like the dolls or babies sold at Bartholomew fair.

        A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

        --
        @histodons

        Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BARTHOLOMEW BABY. A person dressed up in a tawdry manner, like the dolls or babies sold at Bartholomew fair. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

        Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BARTHOLOMEW BABY. A person dressed up in a tawdry manner, like the dolls or babies sold at Bartholomew fair. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

          your auntifa liza 🇵🇷 🦛 🦦 boosted

          [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
          @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

          The Tragedy of Loving Sylvia Plath

          Sarai Walker on Obsession, Ownership, and Plath Worship

          lithub.com/the-tragedy-of-lovi

          This black-and-white photo of Sylvia Plath shows her from the chest up. She faces left and looks away from the camera. Her short dark hair has bangs, and she wears a shirt or jacket with wide lapels.

          Alt...This black-and-white photo of Sylvia Plath shows her from the chest up. She faces left and looks away from the camera. Her short dark hair has bangs, and she wears a shirt or jacket with wide lapels.

            [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
            @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

            “Worthless Idiot, Donkey Head”
            Parodies of Pedantry on the Renaissance Stage

            By Arnoud S. Q. Visser via @publicdomainrev

            Pompous know-it-alls were once a mainstay of mockery on the Italian stage.

            publicdomainreview.org/essay/p

            Il pedante by Francesco Belo is available at PG:
            gutenberg.org/ebooks/34640

            Title page of the book Il pedante by Francesco Belo. It features a profile woodcut portrait of a bearded man within an ornamental frame decorated with foliage, urns, and a small procession scene along the bottom border, along with a library stamp reading "Torino" in the upper right.

            Alt...Title page of the book Il pedante by Francesco Belo. It features a profile woodcut portrait of a bearded man within an ornamental frame decorated with foliage, urns, and a small procession scene along the bottom border, along with a library stamp reading "Torino" in the upper right.

              Nicole Parsons boosted

              [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
              @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

              Every Novel Is Boring—Until It Isn’t

              With almost every novel I read, I go through the same arc. At first the novel bores me. Then, suddenly, it becomes the most interesting thing in the world.

              by Emma Adler

              publicbooks.org/every-novel-is

              Books about Literary Fiction at PG:
              gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?q

              Augustus Leopold Egg, The Travelling Companions, 1862, oil-on-canvas, 65.3 × 78.7 centimetres (25.7 × 31.0 in), Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. It depicts two nearly identical young women in matching pale silk dresses seated in a train carriage — one asleep, the other reading — with a Mediterranean coastal landscape visible through the window.

              Alt...Augustus Leopold Egg, The Travelling Companions, 1862, oil-on-canvas, 65.3 × 78.7 centimetres (25.7 × 31.0 in), Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. It depicts two nearly identical young women in matching pale silk dresses seated in a train carriage — one asleep, the other reading — with a Mediterranean coastal landscape visible through the window.

                [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                AWAKE. Acquainted with, knowing the business. Stow the books, the culls are awake; hide the cards, the fellows know what we intended to do.

                A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                --
                @histodons

                Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): AWAKE. Acquainted with, knowing the business. Stow the books, the culls are awake; hide the cards, the fellows know what we intended to do. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): AWAKE. Acquainted with, knowing the business. Stow the books, the culls are awake; hide the cards, the fellows know what we intended to do. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                  [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                  @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                  HANK. He has a hank on him; i.e. an ascendancy over him, or a hold upon him. A Smithfield hank; an ox, rendered furious by overdriving and barbarous treatment. See BULL HANK.

                  A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                  --
                  @histodons

                  Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): HANK. He has a hank on him; i.e. an ascendancy over him, or a hold upon him. A Smithfield hank; an ox, rendered furious by overdriving and barbarous treatment. See BULL HANK. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                  Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): HANK. He has a hank on him; i.e. an ascendancy over him, or a hold upon him. A Smithfield hank; an ox, rendered furious by overdriving and barbarous treatment. See BULL HANK. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                    HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴 boosted

                    [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                    @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                    How Emperor Augustus Silenced Rome’s Most Famous Poet

                    At the height of his popularity in Rome, Augustus exiled the poet Ovid to the Black Sea. There, the whimsical author produced a striking series of poems.

                    thecollector.com/ovid-roman-po

                    Ovid at PG:

                    gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/28

                    In this painting by Anton von Werner, Ovid sits on a stone throne set in a shallow, arched niche. He wears a classical toga over his left shoulder and torso, leaving his right shoulder uncovered. He gazes a little to his left. He holds a small rectangular writing tablet in his lap with his left hand. His right hand holds a stylus near his chin. He wears a simple wreath or band on his head, open-toed sandals, and sits with his right leg crossed over his left.

                    Alt...In this painting by Anton von Werner, Ovid sits on a stone throne set in a shallow, arched niche. He wears a classical toga over his left shoulder and torso, leaving his right shoulder uncovered. He gazes a little to his left. He holds a small rectangular writing tablet in his lap with his left hand. His right hand holds a stylus near his chin. He wears a simple wreath or band on his head, open-toed sandals, and sits with his right leg crossed over his left.

                      oheso boosted

                      [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                      @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                      These Plays Are Now in the Public Domain. Theatres Should Take Advantage

                      by Chris Peterson

                      onstageblog.com/editorials/202

                      Books by Noël Coward (Private lives coming pretty soon) at PG:
                      gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/32

                      Poster from the 1968 Theatre De Lys production featuring a sketch of Coward. It is featuring a caricature illustration of a bald man in a tuxedo smoking a cigarette holder, with cast names listed below including Elaine Stritch and Lea Bowman, directed by Charles Nelson Reilly.

                      Alt...Poster from the 1968 Theatre De Lys production featuring a sketch of Coward. It is featuring a caricature illustration of a bald man in a tuxedo smoking a cigarette holder, with cast names listed below including Elaine Stritch and Lea Bowman, directed by Charles Nelson Reilly.

                        oheso boosted

                        [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                        @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                        BEARD SPLITTER. A man much given to wenching.

                        A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                        --
                        @histodons

                        Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BEARD SPLITTER. A man much given to wenching. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                        Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BEARD SPLITTER. A man much given to wenching. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                          [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                          @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                          DUMB WATCH. A venereal bubo in the groin.

                          A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                          --
                          @histodons

                          Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): DUMB WATCH. A venereal bubo in the groin. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                          Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): DUMB WATCH. A venereal bubo in the groin. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                            your auntifa liza 🇵🇷 🦛 🦦 boosted

                            [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                            @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                            in 1934, the writer Mary Hunter Austin died. She was "one of the early nature writers of the American Southwest, her classic The Land of Little Rain (1903) describes the fauna, flora, and people of the region between the High Sierra and the Mojave Desert of southern California."

                            en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Hun

                            Books by Austin at PG:

                            gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/201

                            The black-and-white photo shows Mary Hunter Austin from the neck up. She wears a cowboy hat, and her long, wavy hair frames her face. She looks serious.

                            Alt...The black-and-white photo shows Mary Hunter Austin from the neck up. She wears a cowboy hat, and her long, wavy hair frames her face. She looks serious.

                              [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                              @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                              How the Crusaders Turned Gaza into a Medieval Frontier Fortress

                              In the twelfth century, the Crusaders transformed Gaza into a fortified base on the frontier between the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Fatimid Egypt. Its construction isolated Ascalon, intensified the struggle for the region and helped open the way for attacks on Egypt.

                              By Steve Tibble

                              medievalists.net/2026/08/how-t

                              Books about Crusades at PG:
                              gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/2

                              Map of the Crusader states and Crusader castles. An historical map showing the Crusader states including the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Principality of Antioch, County of Tripoli, and County of Edessa.

                              Alt...Map of the Crusader states and Crusader castles. An historical map showing the Crusader states including the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Principality of Antioch, County of Tripoli, and County of Edessa.

                                [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                CHAPERON. The cicisbeo, or gentleman usher to a lady; from the French.

                                A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                --
                                @histodons

                                Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): CHAPERON. The cicisbeo, or gentleman usher to a lady; from the French. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): CHAPERON. The cicisbeo, or gentleman usher to a lady; from the French. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                  [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                  @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                  Hi!, I'm a bot posting selections from Francis Grose’s 1785 “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue”, a compilation of slang terms, the coded language of the underclass and the demi-monde.

                                  [18th-century-content warning: possible racism, animal cruelty, homophobia, sexism, slut-shaming. Let me know of any problems.]

                                  Montage of dictionary items posted by this account

                                  Alt...Montage of dictionary items posted by this account

                                    [?]WIST Quotations » 🌐
                                    @wistquotes@friendica.world

                                    A quotation from Voltaire

                                    Had there been a literary censorship in Rome, we should have had to-day neither Horace, Juvenal, nor the philosophical works of Cicero. If Milton, Dryden, Pope, and Locke had not been free, England would have had neither poets nor philosophers; there is something positively Turkish in proscribing printing; and hampering it is proscription.
                                     
                                    [S’il y avait eu une inquisition littéraire à Rome, nous n’aurions aujourd’hui ni Horace, ni Juvénal, ni les œuvres philosophiques de Cicéron. Si Milton, Dryden, Pope, et Locke, n’avaient pas été libres l’Angleterre n’aurait eu ni des poètes, ni des philosophes: il y a je ne sais quoi de turc à proscrire l’imprimerie, et c’est la proscrire que la trop gêner.]

                                    Voltaire (1694-1778) French writer [pseud. of Francois-Marie Arouet]
                                    Letter (1733-06-20) to a First Commissioner [Lettre á un premier commis] [tr. Tallentyre (1919)]

                                    More about this quote: wist.info/voltaire/85406/

                                      [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                      @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                      @light There are 4 translations at LibriVox:
                                      librivox.org/search?title=Prom

                                      Perhaps Thoreau's translation is a good starting point:
                                      librivox.org/prometheus-bound-

                                      Enjoy it!

                                      https://librivox.org/search?title=Prometheus+Bound&author=Aeschylus&reader=&keywords=&genre_id=0&status=all&project_type=either&recorded_language=&sort_ord

                                        [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                        @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                        BURN THE KEN. Strollers living in an alehouse without paying their quarters, are said to burn the ken. CANT.

                                        A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                        --
                                        @histodons

                                        Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BURN THE KEN. Strollers living in an alehouse without paying their quarters, are said to burn the ken. CANT. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                        Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BURN THE KEN. Strollers living in an alehouse without paying their quarters, are said to burn the ken. CANT. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                          muddle 🥣 boosted

                                          [?]Assoc for Scottish Literature » 🌐
                                          @scotlit@mastodon.scot

                                          “What an incredible coincidence it is that our moon fits exactly over our sun…”

                                          —In his 2009 parallel-universes novel TRANSITION, Iain (M) Banks suggested that one of our planet’s near-miraculous total eclipses would be a perfect place to look for alien tourists

                                          @bookstodon

                                          hachette.co.uk/titles/iain-ban

                                          "Now, most jet travel on Earth is for tourism. Not business; tourism. Would our smart, curious aliens really be that different from us? I don't think so. Most of them would be tourists. Like us, they'd go on cruise ships. And would they want to actually come to a place like Earth, set foot – or tentacle, or whatever – here? Rather than visit via some sort of virtual reality set-up? Well, some would settle for second-best, yes. Maybe the majority of people would. But the high rollers, the super-wealthy, the elite, they'd want the real thing. They'd want the bragging rights, they'd want to be able to say they'd really been to whatever exotic destinations would be on a Galactic Grand Tour. And who knows what splendours they'd want to fit in; their equivalent of the Grand Canyon, or Venice, Italy, or the Great Wall of China or Yosemite or the Pyramids? "But what I want to propose to you is that, as well as all those other wonders, they would definitely want to see that one precious thing that we have and probably nobody else does. They'd want to see our eclipse. They'd want to look through the Earth's atmosphere with their own eyes and see the moon fit over the sun, watch the light fade down to almost nothing, listen to the animals nearby fall silent and feel with their own skins the sudden chill in the air that comes with totality. Even if they can't survive in our atmosphere, even if they need a spacesuit to keep them alive, they'd still want to get as close as they possibly could to seeing it in the raw, in as close to natural conditions as it's possible to arrange. They'd want to be here, amongst us, when the shadow passes. "So that's where you look for aliens. In the course of an eclipse totality track. When everybody else is looking awestruck at the sky, you need to be looking round for anybody who looks weird or overdressed, or who isn't coming out of their RV or their moored yacht with the heavily smoked glass. ""If they're anywhere, they're there, and as distracted – and so as vulnerable – as anybody else staring up in wonder at this astonishing, breathtaking sight.”

                                          Alt..."Now, most jet travel on Earth is for tourism. Not business; tourism. Would our smart, curious aliens really be that different from us? I don't think so. Most of them would be tourists. Like us, they'd go on cruise ships. And would they want to actually come to a place like Earth, set foot – or tentacle, or whatever – here? Rather than visit via some sort of virtual reality set-up? Well, some would settle for second-best, yes. Maybe the majority of people would. But the high rollers, the super-wealthy, the elite, they'd want the real thing. They'd want the bragging rights, they'd want to be able to say they'd really been to whatever exotic destinations would be on a Galactic Grand Tour. And who knows what splendours they'd want to fit in; their equivalent of the Grand Canyon, or Venice, Italy, or the Great Wall of China or Yosemite or the Pyramids? "But what I want to propose to you is that, as well as all those other wonders, they would definitely want to see that one precious thing that we have and probably nobody else does. They'd want to see our eclipse. They'd want to look through the Earth's atmosphere with their own eyes and see the moon fit over the sun, watch the light fade down to almost nothing, listen to the animals nearby fall silent and feel with their own skins the sudden chill in the air that comes with totality. Even if they can't survive in our atmosphere, even if they need a spacesuit to keep them alive, they'd still want to get as close as they possibly could to seeing it in the raw, in as close to natural conditions as it's possible to arrange. They'd want to be here, amongst us, when the shadow passes. "So that's where you look for aliens. In the course of an eclipse totality track. When everybody else is looking awestruck at the sky, you need to be looking round for anybody who looks weird or overdressed, or who isn't coming out of their RV or their moored yacht with the heavily smoked glass. ""If they're anywhere, they're there, and as distracted – and so as vulnerable – as anybody else staring up in wonder at this astonishing, breathtaking sight.”

                                            Light boosted

                                            [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                            @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                            What Aeschylus’s “Prometheus Bound” Teaches About Defying Tyranny

                                            Aeschylus’s "Prometheus Bound" explores themes of knowledge, power, and tyranny, and in doing so raised compelling questions about Athenian imperial authority.

                                            thecollector.com/prometheus-bo

                                            "Four Plays of Aeschylus" at PG:

                                            gutenberg.org/ebooks/8714

                                            In Thomas Cole's, "Prometheus Bound", "the landscape is appropriately desolate; above Prometheus are imposing, snowy mountains and a cold sky. The figure himself blends in with the rocks, a conscious decision of the artist that adds an element of surprise for the viewer when the figure is finally seen; the viewer's surprise emphasizes Prometheus's desperate and desolate situation.[1] Upon further inspection a vulture is seen lower in the painting, swooping up toward Prometheus. The raptor comes at dawn, when the planet Jupiter (the "morning star") is seen in the sky.[2] As the Roman god Jupiter is the equivalent of Zeus, Prometheus's antagonist symbolically watches over him." - Wikipedia

                                            Alt...In Thomas Cole's, "Prometheus Bound", "the landscape is appropriately desolate; above Prometheus are imposing, snowy mountains and a cold sky. The figure himself blends in with the rocks, a conscious decision of the artist that adds an element of surprise for the viewer when the figure is finally seen; the viewer's surprise emphasizes Prometheus's desperate and desolate situation.[1] Upon further inspection a vulture is seen lower in the painting, swooping up toward Prometheus. The raptor comes at dawn, when the planet Jupiter (the "morning star") is seen in the sky.[2] As the Roman god Jupiter is the equivalent of Zeus, Prometheus's antagonist symbolically watches over him." - Wikipedia

                                              [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                              @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                              Black Achilles

                                              The Greeks didn’t have modern ideas of race. Did they see themselves as white, black – or as something else altogether?

                                              by Tim Whitmarsh

                                              aeon.co/essays/when-homer-envi

                                              Books about Achilles at PG:
                                              gutenberg.org/ebooks/subjects/

                                              Ajax carries off the body of Achilles, Attic black-figure lekythos from Sicily, c. 510 BCE (Staatliche Antikensammlungen, Munich). A terracotta amphora fragment showing two helmeted warriors in black-figure style carrying the body of a fallen soldier. Large round shields decorated with serpent motifs dominate the scene.

                                              Alt...Ajax carries off the body of Achilles, Attic black-figure lekythos from Sicily, c. 510 BCE (Staatliche Antikensammlungen, Munich). A terracotta amphora fragment showing two helmeted warriors in black-figure style carrying the body of a fallen soldier. Large round shields decorated with serpent motifs dominate the scene.

                                                [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                TO CROW. To brag, boast, or triumph. To crow over any one; to keep him in subjection: an image drawn from a cock, who crows over a vanquished enemy. To strut like a crow in a gutter; to walk proudly, or with an air of consequence.

                                                A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                --
                                                @histodons

                                                Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): TO CROW. To brag, boast, or triumph. To crow over any one; to keep him in subjection: an image drawn from a cock, who crows over a vanquished enemy. To strut like a crow in a gutter; to walk proudly, or with an air of consequence. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): TO CROW. To brag, boast, or triumph. To crow over any one; to keep him in subjection: an image drawn from a cock, who crows over a vanquished enemy. To strut like a crow in a gutter; to walk proudly, or with an air of consequence. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                  [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                  @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                  GOBBLER. A turkey cock.

                                                  A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                  --
                                                  @histodons

                                                  Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): GOBBLER. A turkey cock. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                  Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): GOBBLER. A turkey cock. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                    [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
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                                                    How JD Salinger’s Experience of WWII Suffused All of His Writing, Even Catcher in the Rye

                                                    Jasper Craven Explores the Role of War in Influencing American Literary Masculinity

                                                    lithub.com/how-jd-salingers-ex

                                                    Books about American fiction -- 20th century at PG:
                                                    gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/5

                                                    Portrait of American author J. D. Salinger photographed by Lotte at Atelier Jacobi in New York City, October 11, 1950 (source: Fine Books & Collections). The photo was used as an author portrait on the first-edition dust jacket of Salinger's 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye. It was removed from subsequent editions of the novel at the author's request. This is a black-and-white photograph of J.D. Salinger, shown with dark slicked-back hair, wearing a tweed jacket, white collared shirt, and tie, with a slight, subtle smile.

                                                    Alt...Portrait of American author J. D. Salinger photographed by Lotte at Atelier Jacobi in New York City, October 11, 1950 (source: Fine Books & Collections). The photo was used as an author portrait on the first-edition dust jacket of Salinger's 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye. It was removed from subsequent editions of the novel at the author's request. This is a black-and-white photograph of J.D. Salinger, shown with dark slicked-back hair, wearing a tweed jacket, white collared shirt, and tie, with a slight, subtle smile.

                                                      oheso boosted

                                                      [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                      @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                      GAMON AND PATTER. Common place talk of any profession; as the gamon and patter of a horse-dealer, sailor, &c.

                                                      A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                      --
                                                      @histodons

                                                      Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): GAMON AND PATTER. Common place talk of any profession; as the gamon and patter of a horse-dealer, sailor, &c. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                      Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): GAMON AND PATTER. Common place talk of any profession; as the gamon and patter of a horse-dealer, sailor, &c. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                        [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                        @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                        HERE AND THEREIAN. One who has no settled place of residence.

                                                        A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                        --
                                                        @histodons

                                                        Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): HERE AND THEREIAN. One who has no settled place of residence. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                        Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): HERE AND THEREIAN. One who has no settled place of residence. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                          Light boosted

                                                          [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
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                                                          Kafka's Screwball Tragedy: Investigations of a Philosophical Dog

                                                          "Investigations of a Dog" is a funny and deeply philosophical tale of a lone, maladjusted dog who defies scientific dogma and pioneers an original research program in pursuit of the mysteries of his self and his world.

                                                          By: Aaron Schuster (from the archives)

                                                          thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/kaf

                                                          Books by Kafka at PG:
                                                          gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/17

                                                          Albrecht Dürer, "A greyhound," 1501. A detailed pen-and-ink sketch showing a slender greyhound in profile, head raised alertly.

                                                          Alt...Albrecht Dürer, "A greyhound," 1501. A detailed pen-and-ink sketch showing a slender greyhound in profile, head raised alertly.

                                                            [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                            @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                            HUMP. To hump; once a fashionable word for copulation.

                                                            A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                            --
                                                            @histodons

                                                            Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): HUMP. To hump; once a fashionable word for copulation. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                            Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): HUMP. To hump; once a fashionable word for copulation. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                              [?]דער קערפער פֿון השם » 🌐
                                                              @dukepaaron@babka.social

                                                              "A bumper crop of new kids’ about the is hitting shelves in 2026, surprising close observers of children’s .

                                                              “It is unusual for multiple books to be in the same year, especially of consistently high quality. It’s very exciting,” said , a Jewish and host of the of Life , which describes itself as “a podcast about Jewish (mostly).”

                                                              noted with appreciation that one of the books was coming from a mainstream secular press, rather than from the smaller boutique presses that tend to release books about Jewish holidays.

                                                              She offered a possible explanation for the surging interest in the harvest holiday in particular: “Sukkot is family- and environmentally friendly, and I think that is a big part of its appeal.”

                                                              But the new books showcase a wide range of Jewish traditions and values..."

                                                              jta.org/2026/08/07/culture/fro

                                                                [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                TO HUFF. To reprove, or scold at any one; also to bluster, bounce, ding, or swagger. A captain huff; a noted bully. To stand the huff; to be answerable for the reckoning in a public house.

                                                                A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                --
                                                                @histodons

                                                                Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): TO HUFF. To reprove, or scold at any one; also to bluster, bounce, ding, or swagger. A captain huff; a noted bully. To stand the huff; to be answerable for the reckoning in a public house. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): TO HUFF. To reprove, or scold at any one; also to bluster, bounce, ding, or swagger. A captain huff; a noted bully. To stand the huff; to be answerable for the reckoning in a public house. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                  Light boosted

                                                                  [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                                  @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                                  Science, religion, and political omens: the meaning of eclipses in ancient Rome

                                                                  by Javier Andreu Pintado

                                                                  Romans could predict eclipses, but still interpreted them as signs from the gods.

                                                                  theconversation.com/science-re

                                                                  Books about eclipses (next eclipse will take place on August 12) at PG:
                                                                  gutenberg.org/ebooks/subjects/

                                                                  Two philosophers watching an eclipse, etching by Pierre Brébiette. It is showing two robed, bearded figures gesturing dramatically toward the sky where a solar eclipse is depicted, with an armillary sphere at their feet and classical architecture in the background. The Latin inscription reads "Aut Deus naturae patitur, aut mundi machina dissoluetur" ("Either God suffers in nature, or the machine of the world will be dissolved").

                                                                  Alt...Two philosophers watching an eclipse, etching by Pierre Brébiette. It is showing two robed, bearded figures gesturing dramatically toward the sky where a solar eclipse is depicted, with an armillary sphere at their feet and classical architecture in the background. The Latin inscription reads "Aut Deus naturae patitur, aut mundi machina dissoluetur" ("Either God suffers in nature, or the machine of the world will be dissolved").

                                                                    Mx. Luna Corbden 🪿🐸 boosted

                                                                    [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                    @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                    MAGGOTTY. Whimsical, capricious.

                                                                    A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                    --
                                                                    @histodons

                                                                    Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): MAGGOTTY. Whimsical, capricious. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                    Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): MAGGOTTY. Whimsical, capricious. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                      Steam Powered Frisbee 🥏 boosted

                                                                      [?]David Castleton (Author) » 🌐
                                                                      @david_castleton@universeodon.com

                                                                      My new book 'Atlas Gothica: An Alternative Guide to the World's Most Curious Destinations' (Headline/Hachette) is now on pre-order! The book takes in 50 Gothic destinations around the world, including vampire-plagued Victorian graveyards, haunted English libraries, witch-haunted caves, mummy-stuffed catacombs, Dracula's Whitby and much more. You can discover the very raven the inspired Edgar Allan Poe, a Chinese city based on a blueprint of hell, the tombs of Voodoo queens, and the lair of the legendary Mothman. Grab it here: amazon.co.uk/Atlas-Gothica-Alt

                                                                      The front cover, back cover and spine of the book 'Atlas Gothica: An Alternative Guide to the World's Most Curious Destinations' by David Castleton. The book has the title and blurb in silver lettering on a mainly black background, with silver highlights in an abstract map-like design. The blurb reads: "Step off the tourist trail to discover 50 darkly captivating locations - from the eerie Lockrum Island monastery to the legendary lair of the Mothman, and from China's mysterious ghost city of Fengdu to the windswept moors that inspired 'Wuthering Heights'. With rich storytelling and atmospheric photography revealing the myths, legends and histories behind each destination, this is the ultimate gothic travel guide for anyone drawn to the dark side."

                                                                      Alt...The front cover, back cover and spine of the book 'Atlas Gothica: An Alternative Guide to the World's Most Curious Destinations' by David Castleton. The book has the title and blurb in silver lettering on a mainly black background, with silver highlights in an abstract map-like design. The blurb reads: "Step off the tourist trail to discover 50 darkly captivating locations - from the eerie Lockrum Island monastery to the legendary lair of the Mothman, and from China's mysterious ghost city of Fengdu to the windswept moors that inspired 'Wuthering Heights'. With rich storytelling and atmospheric photography revealing the myths, legends and histories behind each destination, this is the ultimate gothic travel guide for anyone drawn to the dark side."

                                                                        [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                        @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                        HORN COLIC. A temporary priapism.

                                                                        A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                        --
                                                                        @histodons

                                                                        Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): HORN COLIC. A temporary priapism. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                        Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): HORN COLIC. A temporary priapism. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                          muddle 🥣 boosted

                                                                          [?]Assoc for Scottish Literature » 🌐
                                                                          @scotlit@mastodon.scot

                                                                          Twa Cats anes on a Cheese did light,
                                                                          To which baith had an equal Right,
                                                                          But Disputes, sic as aft arise,
                                                                          Fell out at sharing of the Prize…

                                                                          —Allan Ramsay (1686–1758), “The twa Cats & the Cheese”
                                                                          digitised by the National Library of Scotland

                                                                          Today, 8 August, is International Cat Day
                                                                          😾 😾 🧀 🐵

                                                                          digital.nls.uk/special-collect

                                                                          The twa Cats and the Cheese Fable IX by Allan Ramsay Twa Cats anes on a Cheese did light, To which baith had an equal Right, But Disputes, sic as aft arise, Fell out at sharing of the Prize; Fair Play said ane, Ye bite o’er thick Thae Teeth of yours gang wonder quick: Let’s part it, else lang or the Moon Be chang’d, the Kebuck will be done.

                                                                          Alt...The twa Cats and the Cheese Fable IX by Allan Ramsay Twa Cats anes on a Cheese did light, To which baith had an equal Right, But Disputes, sic as aft arise, Fell out at sharing of the Prize; Fair Play said ane, Ye bite o’er thick Thae Teeth of yours gang wonder quick: Let’s part it, else lang or the Moon Be chang’d, the Kebuck will be done.

                                                                          But wha’s to do’t,—They’re Parties baith, And ane may do the other Skaith, Sae with Consent away they trudge, And laid the Cheese before a Judge, A Monkey with a campsho Face, Clerk to a Justice of the Peace, A Judge he seem’d in Justice skill’d, When he his Master’s Chair fill’d; Now Umpire chosen for Division, Baith sware to stand by his Decision. Demure he looks.—The Cheese he pales,— He prives it good,—Ca’s for the Scales, His Knife whops throw’t,—In twa it fell, He puts ilk Haff in either Shell; Said he, We’ll truly weigh the Case, And strickest Justice shall have Place, Then lifting up the Scales, he fand The tane bang up, the ither stand; Syne out he took the heaviest Haff, And ate a Knoost o’t quickly aff, And try’d it syne,—It now prov’d light, Friend Cats, said he, We’ll do ye right. Then to the ither Haff he fell, And laid till’t teughly Tooth and Nail, Till weigh’d again it lightest prov’d: The Judge wha this sweet Process lov’d, Still weigh’d the Case, and still ate on, Till Clients baith were weary grown,

                                                                          Alt...But wha’s to do’t,—They’re Parties baith, And ane may do the other Skaith, Sae with Consent away they trudge, And laid the Cheese before a Judge, A Monkey with a campsho Face, Clerk to a Justice of the Peace, A Judge he seem’d in Justice skill’d, When he his Master’s Chair fill’d; Now Umpire chosen for Division, Baith sware to stand by his Decision. Demure he looks.—The Cheese he pales,— He prives it good,—Ca’s for the Scales, His Knife whops throw’t,—In twa it fell, He puts ilk Haff in either Shell; Said he, We’ll truly weigh the Case, And strickest Justice shall have Place, Then lifting up the Scales, he fand The tane bang up, the ither stand; Syne out he took the heaviest Haff, And ate a Knoost o’t quickly aff, And try’d it syne,—It now prov’d light, Friend Cats, said he, We’ll do ye right. Then to the ither Haff he fell, And laid till’t teughly Tooth and Nail, Till weigh’d again it lightest prov’d: The Judge wha this sweet Process lov’d, Still weigh’d the Case, and still ate on, Till Clients baith were weary grown,

                                                                          And tenting how the Matter went, Cry’d, Come, come Sir, We’re baith content. Ye Fools, quoth he, and Justice too Maun be content as well as you. Thus grumbled they, thus he went on, Till baith the Haves were near hand done; Poor Pousies now the Daffine saw Of gawn for Nignyes to the Law: And bill’d the Judge that he wad please To give them the remaining Cheese: To which his Worship grave reply’d, The Dues of Court maun first be paid. Now Justice pleas’d,—What’s to the Fore Will but right scrimply clear your Score; That’s our Decreet,—Gae Hame and Sleep, And thank us ye’re win aff sae cheap.

                                                                          Alt...And tenting how the Matter went, Cry’d, Come, come Sir, We’re baith content. Ye Fools, quoth he, and Justice too Maun be content as well as you. Thus grumbled they, thus he went on, Till baith the Haves were near hand done; Poor Pousies now the Daffine saw Of gawn for Nignyes to the Law: And bill’d the Judge that he wad please To give them the remaining Cheese: To which his Worship grave reply’d, The Dues of Court maun first be paid. Now Justice pleas’d,—What’s to the Fore Will but right scrimply clear your Score; That’s our Decreet,—Gae Hame and Sleep, And thank us ye’re win aff sae cheap.

                                                                            [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                                            @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                                            9 Supernatural Creatures in the Works of Oscar Wilde

                                                                            Mermaids, giants, and witches are some of the supernatural characters readers encounter in the words of the brilliant writer Oscar Wilde.

                                                                            thecollector.com/supernatural-

                                                                            Wilde at PG:

                                                                            gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/111

                                                                            This photograph of Oscar Wilde in a dramatic pose, taken by Napoleon Sarony around 1882, shows him standing and facing slightly to the left. Wilde has medium-length wavy hair and wears a wide-brimmed fedora-style hat. He has a large dark cape over his shoulders and a light-colored cravat or neck scarf tied in a big bow. His right hand is lifted near his chest, holding the cape in place.

                                                                            Alt...This photograph of Oscar Wilde in a dramatic pose, taken by Napoleon Sarony around 1882, shows him standing and facing slightly to the left. Wilde has medium-length wavy hair and wears a wide-brimmed fedora-style hat. He has a large dark cape over his shoulders and a light-colored cravat or neck scarf tied in a big bow. His right hand is lifted near his chest, holding the cape in place.

                                                                              oheso boosted

                                                                              [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                                              @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                                              Who were the Luddites? Their legacy ripples through politics, cultural commentary and literature

                                                                              by Brian Lewis

                                                                              theconversation.com/who-were-t

                                                                              Books about Luddites at PG:
                                                                              gutenberg.org/ebooks/subjects/

                                                                              Ned is questioned by the justices. Title: Through the Fray: A Tale of the Luddite Riots Author: G. A. Henty It is showing a young man standing before a table where several older, formally dressed men are seated, questioning him in what appears to be a courtroom or inquiry scene.

                                                                              Alt...Ned is questioned by the justices. Title: Through the Fray: A Tale of the Luddite Riots Author: G. A. Henty It is showing a young man standing before a table where several older, formally dressed men are seated, questioning him in what appears to be a courtroom or inquiry scene.

                                                                                oheso boosted

                                                                                [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                                                @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                                                How storytelling can help us grasp climate change

                                                                                As glaciers melt, a writer considers what stories can do that data cannot

                                                                                by Adam Loften, Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee

                                                                                aeon.co/videos/as-glaciers-mel

                                                                                More information about Vatnajökull:
                                                                                en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatnaj%C

                                                                                Ascending Icy Mountains. Title: Through the first Antarctic night, 1898-1899 a narrative of the voyage of the "Belgica" among newly discovered lands and over an unknown sea about the south pole Author: Frederick Albert Cook A photograph showing polar expedition members in heavy fur-lined coats, gathered in deep snow with sledges and equipment, including what appears to be snowshoes on a stand.

                                                                                Alt...Ascending Icy Mountains. Title: Through the first Antarctic night, 1898-1899 a narrative of the voyage of the "Belgica" among newly discovered lands and over an unknown sea about the south pole Author: Frederick Albert Cook A photograph showing polar expedition members in heavy fur-lined coats, gathered in deep snow with sledges and equipment, including what appears to be snowshoes on a stand.

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