The Idler

[wabmester]

I just discovered a magazine dedicated to, erhm, doing nothing.

The Idler

It's been around for over 10 years, so this might be old news to you.*

Anyway, the latest issue contains a nice interview of Michael Palin, who discusses various topics near and dear to early retirees, including creating your own luck, avoiding stuff, and the simple pleasures of urban life.

[youbet]

Thanks wab! It's new news to me. This looks like terrific reading.

[sgeeeee]

I'm skeptical. I know how much work it is to put out a magazine -- working to a deadline, etc. How could these guys really know anything about loafing?

[Danny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgeeeee I'm skeptical. I know how much work it is to put out a magazine -- working to a deadline, etc. How could these guys really know anything about loafing?

Maybe its semi-monthly or whenever they manage to get it out....

Edit:
Actually, it's 4 issues for £60.00!

Thanks wab

[sgeeeee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IntoTheMystic Maybe its semi-monthly or whenever they manage to get it out.... . . .

I like that idea. They should advertise themselves as a magazine for loafers that comes out occasionally, and promise that they will probably get out 4 issues a year if nothing better comes along.

[donheff]

The original "Idler" was a sudonym, and a series of articles, by Samuel Johnson in the mid 18th century from whence comes my new sig - "Every man is, or hopes to be, an Idler." It is discussed in the book "Doing Nothing" that I ordered from the library after reading about it here. The book is a somewhat academic look at loafing by a guy who feels a little uncomfortable with his inner slacker. It is interesting but not a great read.

[astromeria]

do you mean "pseudonym"--false (fictitious) name? Interesting info on types of pseudonyms:
http://www.answers.com/topic/pseudonymity

not sure how Idler is a pseudonym, though. Did you mean metonymy, a rhetorical device--where "idler" is a single characteristic used to represent the whole, as "the crown" can be used to represent the British monarchy?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metonymy

synecdoche is similar:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synecdoche

Sorry...former editor here...not that I made use of such rhetorical effects in my tech writing/editing--that was the specialty of the marketing department

[donheff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astromeria do you mean "pseudonym"--false (fictitious) name? Interesting info on types of pseudonyms: http://www.answers.com/topic/pseudonymity not sure how Idler is a pseudonym, though... Sorry...former editor here...not that I made use of such rhetorical effects in my tech writing/editing--that was the specialty of the marketing department

- that's the embarrassed smiley. The trouble with blogs and email is I never bother paying attention to my spelling, but that one was way dumb. The book makes it sound like Johnson used the "Idler" as both the title of the series and the identity under which he wrote the articles. Would that make "Idler" a pseudonym or does the term not apply when the false name clearly can't be real?

[LakeRat]

Thanks for this site. I may keep me from lurking around here so much. Not to say that lurking is bad, it isn't is it?

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astromeria do you mean "pseudonym"--false (fictitious) name? Interesting info on types of pseudonyms: http://www.answers.com/topic/pseudonymity not sure how Idler is a pseudonym, though. Did you mean metonymy, a rhetorical device--where "idler" is a single characteristic used to represent the whole, as "the crown" can be used to represent the British monarchy? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metonymy synecdoche is similar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synecdoche Sorry...former editor here...not that I made use of such rhetorical effects in my tech writing/editing--that was the specialty of the marketing department

Methinks Astro has too much idle time on her hands.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astromeria ...not that I made use of such rhetorical effects in my tech writing/editing--that was the specialty of the marketing department*

I thought the term for that was "hyperbole"...

[astromeria]

synecdoche, metonymy, and hyperbole are just a few of the different types of rhetorical devices--but hyperbole is much more popular than the others...or is that hyperbole Other familiar types are metaphor, simile, alliteration, and irony. Here's as complete a list as I can find easily, with examples--were those ancient Greeks & Romans cool or what! Note Barry Goldwater's famously excellent use of antithesis:
http://www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/rhetoric.html

Hey, some people fly-fish or go bird-watching, some get into spreaadsheeting or martial arts or sudoku. I read about random areas of study, wherever my whimsy takes me. Retorical devices were vaguely work-related for me at one time. Anyway, it's good to be familiar with these devices, if not by name. They are used by speechwriters--and other writers--to manipulate us.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astromeria synecdoche, metonymy, and hyperbole are just a few of the different types of rhetorical devices--but hyperbole is much more popular than the others...or is that hyperbole* Other familiar types are metaphor, simile, alliteration, and irony. Here's as complete a list as I can find easily, with examples--were those ancient Greeks & Romans cool or what! Note Barry Goldwater's famously excellent use of antithesis: http://www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/rhetoric.html Hey, some people fly-fish or go bird-watching, some get into spreaadsheeting or martial arts or sudoku. I read about random areas of study, wherever my whimsy takes me. Retorical devices were vaguely work-related for me at one time. Anyway, it's good to be familiar with these devices, if not by name. They are used by speechwriters--and other writers--to manipulate us.

I'm curious, Astro-- when you go to parties do they try to throw a few frosty beverages down your throat and get you to do a few minutes' stand-up on apostrophes? That happens to me all the time...

[astromeria]

They'd be smarter to keep me far from the intoxicants--I talk more under the influence! But who wouldn't rather talk about alliteration than Somebody Loves Edmund er Reebok er Raybans, NASCAM, or American Idyll

Be nice Nords, it's my birthday. And I'm having a dinner party coz I forgot what day it was a few weeks ago when I planned it : I should prolly start the horse doovers (hors d'ouevres for you word pedestrians ).

[sgeeeee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astromeria . . . it's my birthday. And I'm having a dinner party coz I forgot what day it was a few weeks ago when I planned it* : I should prolly start the horse doovers (hors d'ouevres for you word pedestrians* ).

Happy Birthday, astromeria. Hope you have a good one and that the horse doovers turn out great.

[laurence]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astromeria They'd be smarter to keep me far from the intoxicants--I talk more under the influence! But who wouldn't rather talk about alliteration than Somebody Loves Edmund er Reebok er Raybans, NASCAM, or American Idyll* Be nice Nords, it's my birthday. And I'm having a dinner party coz I forgot what day it was a few weeks ago when I planned it* : I should prolly start the horse doovers (hors d'ouevres for you word pedestrians* ).

Hey, mines the 18th! Go Leos!

[SecondCor521]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astromeria They'd be smarter to keep me far from the intoxicants--I talk more under the influence! But who wouldn't rather talk about alliteration than Somebody Loves Edmund er Reebok er Raybans, NASCAM, or American Idyll Be nice Nords, it's my birthday. And I'm having a dinner party coz I forgot what day it was a few weeks ago when I planned it : I should prolly start the horse doovers (hors d'ouevres for you word pedestrians ).

Ditto on the Happy Birthday.

I chucked because that's what my parent's call 'em -- horse doovers.

2Cor521

[HFWR]

I always thought they were "whore's doovers"..................... :

[greg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cute & Fuzzy HFWR I always thought they were "whore's doovers"..................... :

Please, could we just talk about food, instead .

Happy belated Birthday astromeria. May all your future birthdays include chocolate, except your 100th, unless it's chocolate Metamusil.

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astromeria do you mean "pseudonym"--false (fictitious) name? Interesting info on types of pseudonyms: http://www.answers.com/topic/pseudonymity not sure how Idler is a pseudonym, though. Did you mean metonymy, a rhetorical device--where "idler" is a single characteristic used to represent the whole, as "the crown" can be used to represent the British monarchy? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metonymy synecdoche is similar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synecdoche Sorry...former editor here...not that I made use of such rhetorical effects in my tech writing/editing--that was the specialty of the marketing department*

This is excellent! Now I understand where our very own monitor, Cutthroat, gets his name:

Synecdoche (Example) The species is used for the genus
"cutthroat" for assassin, "...

And all this time I have been worrying about a former pot grower.*

Ha