Archives -- February 8, 2025

Locator: 48515ARCHIVES.

After a very warm day today and to some extent yesterday, it's going to be relatively cooler and colder this next week. Already, walking from the Bat Cave to the apartment was not particularly pleasant. The wind was truly picking up and it was getting very, very cold.

Now, I'm in a comfortable chair next to the bed in the bedroom -- all I lack is a fireplace and a golden retriever -- reading a short biography of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. I can easily finish it in one sitting but the writing is so good, I do not want to rush it. I will stop for the night and finish it later.

We -- May and I -- really have it quite nice -- a beautiful, cozy apartment, and both in good health. One of these days I will fall off the cliff but right now -- knock on wood -- I'm doing well -- in every respect, I suppose.

Super Bowl Sunday tomorrow. I have no plans to watch it. I will check in at half-time and if the score intrigues me I may watch a bit of the game. 

Now, after putting the biography of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas aside I need to find another book before heading to bed. 

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Word of the Day
Meshugener

Meshuggener is a Yiddish word that means "crazy," "insane," or "foolish." 

It comes from the Yiddish word meshugener, which comes from the adjective meshuge. 

The word meshuge comes from the Hebrew word mĕshuggā'. 

The Hebrew word mĕshuggā' comes from the Hebrew word shagag, which means "to go astray" or "wander.". 

English speakers have used the adjective form meshuga or meshugge since the late 1800s. 

English speakers have used the term meshuggener to describe foolish people since at least 1900. 

First saw the word, Two Lives: Gertrude and Alice, Janet Malcolm, c. 2007. From a discount bookstore for $5.99. A $25 book. Over at Amazon, $13.95 for the paperback, $13.22 for the hardcover. Go figure.