Inkhornism

[likethebeer]

Grandiloquent Word of the Day: Inkhornism (INK•horn•iz•im) Noun: -Overworking something such as a piece of writing. -Pedantry -A show of knowledge. -Unimaginative or unduly emphasis of minutiae in the presentation or use of knowledge. -Undue display of learning. -Slavish attention to rules, details, etc. A literary composition of the sixteenth century that “smelled of the lamp” – meaning that it was overworked – perhaps from too much “burning of the midnight oil” by hack writers, who were sometimes called candlewasters. The inspiration for inkhornism was a small, portable case of writing instruments first made of wood and used from the 1300’s to the 1700’s. An inkling, the diminutive of ink, which was related to an older Anglo-Saxon verb imt, ”to mutter,” once was a sample of a written idea. A person who engaged in inkhornism was called an inkhornist. Used in a sentence: "If it weren't for my talent for inkhornism, my essays would never be long enough to receive full credit for the assignment."

Grandiloquent Word of the Day: Inkhornism
(INK•horn•iz•im)
Noun:
-Overworking something such as a piece of writing.
-Pedantry
-A show of knowledge.
-Unimaginative or unduly emphasis of minutiae in the presentation or use of knowledge.
-Undue display of learning.
-Slavish attention to rules, details, etc.

A literary composition of the sixteenth century that “smelled of the lamp” – meaning that it was overworked – perhaps from too much “burning of the midnight oil” by hack writers, who were sometimes called candlewasters. The inspiration for inkhornism was a small, portable case of writing instruments first made of wood and used from the 1300’s to the 1700’s. An inkling, the diminutive of ink, which was related to an older Anglo-Saxon verb imt, ”to mutter,” once was a sample of a written idea.
A person who engaged in inkhornism was called an inkhornist.

Used in a sentence:
"If it weren't for my talent for inkhornism, my essays would never be long enough to receive full credit for the assignment."

Comments

[sirreal13.livejournal.com]

That is a great word. There must be an architectural equivalent.

Inkhornism

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

Sounds like what happens when people copy stuff from Owen Jones The Grammar of Ornament (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_Jones_%28architect%29The_Grammar_of_Ornament) just 'cause.... Or, because they're hoping to get a job with Louis Sullivan. You know.

[sirreal13.livejournal.com]

There has to be a happy medium between Inkhornist architecture and minimalism. There are way too many examples of the latter on the UW-Madison campus, such as the concrete box from the early 1970s that is ironically named Humanities.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I find the word "inkhornism" kind of annoying. I do appreciate the irony in its usage, though.

"Undue display of learning," is a great phrase.

[immemor.livejournal.com]

I’d love to respond to this with a paragraph that had an unimaginative or unduly emphasis of minutiae… but oh, who has the time for such shenanigans.

[sirreal13.livejournal.com]

Who has time?
Victorians and some Edwardians. I think Inkhornism correlates to certain bandwidth on the autism spectrum, but I have not one datum to prove it.

[immemor.livejournal.com]

There never seems to be an Edwardian or a Victorian around when you need one nowadays.

[seattleforge.livejournal.com]

I think inkhorism (sp?) stops the people from integrity from putting an idea in writing in the first place. Discussion is what makes the idea stronger or puts it to pasture. Such a shameful practice.