Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for October 14, 2015

How does one teach pre-flood languages?

^Very good.

Pomposity is a monstrosity. But, probably, it’s all because we’re not living in his world, nor he in ours. Maybe we should all increase our vocabulary and be a little pompous, too.

I’ve always read broadly on many subjects. When as a high school student I first began to read essays and articles by William F. Buckley, I thought he deliberately chose ornate language and obscure words to “show off.” I found it tedious to constantly consult a dictionary while reading him. At some point while in college, I began to enjoy the precision of his language. Later, I came to admire his ability to choose (almost always) exactly the right words and perfectly nuanced phrases to say exactly what he meant and nothing else. I mention Buckley as an example partly because I very seldom agreed with him, but he forced me to become more rigorous in my own logic, writing, and speech, and I am grateful for that. I’ve come to believe that the ability to think clearly depends largely on having the right words to embrace subtle distinctions and synthesize apparently disparate concepts. When someone suggests that I use too many “big” words, I sometimes answer, “Aw, that’s a lotta mayonnaise!” And we all know what “mayonnaise” means, even if it is a ten letter word, no?

Well, It can’t be worse than learning french!

Antediluvian? Why, he could probably talk to the Flintstones!

I took a language in school, but after all of these decades since then I still haven’t mastered English.

In German, “antediluvial” would be “vorsintflutlich” (= “pre-sin-floody”), and, dpending on the context, “mercurial” might be translated to “quecksilbrig” (= “qucksilvery”).

Although these words are even longer than their English equivalents, they are absolutely common and far from being pompous.

So true…. but thre is nothing like "Rindfleisch­etikettierungs­überwachungs­aufgaben­übertragungs­gesetz "….

OK, maybe “Donau­dampfschiffahrts­elektrizitäten­hauptbetriebswerk­bauunterbeamten­gesellschaft”…..

I eschew obfuscation.

Wow… speaking of the pompatus of love…

this strip is….ullbay hitsay……

Why doesn’t that guy just teach the language of Larry and Bob ………………..Croc……there is some logic in there also………..

I can use 4 letter words or 4 syllable words with equal ease depending upon what the situation demands. Only 1 language though…

Harold no doubt landscaped with that pompous Pampas Grass.

Last word — not the way I’d spell it.

So, he teaches French?

i jusst got a laff.

clearly, somebody who carries his ivory tower with him everywhere he goes; like a turtle and his shell

I’m sure Rat knows plenty of words in different languages.

Swear words.

xxx

Not a sensible application of the word “axiomatic”.

Real pomposity is using three-syllable substitutions for three-letter words.

Rat comes across as mercurial AND antediluvian. No wonder he doesn’t like the guy.

#huh?

Should we execrate someone just because he exuberantly enjoys sesquipedalianism?

I see that he doesn’t teach English. Mercurial means angry and antediluvian means pre-flood. Neither of those are languages. He’s as bad as people who say “indeed” in an attempt to sound intelligent.

Pompousese? More like Gibberish. Though it is sometimes hard to tell the difference.