Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Astonishing Adam and Adversary and Apple

I'd better post up something fun and quickly after the academic seriousness of the last entry before you all desert me!

Here's something that made me smile in Mark Sanderson's column in the Telegraph. He's commenting on linguist David Crystal's new book Words, Words, Words which, he says "... provides many astonishing examples of lexical ingenuity".
How, for instance, does one tell the story of the Book of Genesis with words only beginning with the letter 'A'? A magazine called Word Ways came up with an answer: 'Adam and alert associate, agreeably accommodated, aptly achieved accord and amiability - ample ambrosias available, and arbors alone adequate against ambient airs. Ah auspicious artlessness! Adversity and affliction attacked appallingly, as avowed antagonists, Adonai, almighty Author, announced, and Apollyon, archangel-adder, asserted. "Avoid apples and abide amid abundance," admonished Adonai. "Admire apples and acquire acumen," advised Apollyon. Alas! Apollyon attained ascendancy. Ancestor Adam's attractive associate ate, arch and alluring against an antinomian apple-tree. Adam ate also, amoral although aware.'
Okay - here's your challenge, then. (To rouse yourself out of your long public holiday stupor!) Rewrite a well known story using only words that begin with a single letter of the alphabet. You're such an inventive lot, I've no doubt at all you'll find a way. And I'm sure I can find a prize for the best.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Apollyon ? :)

bibliobibuli said...

Apollyon means "destroyer." A ruling spirit released from the Abyss during God's wrath on mankind ...

Anonymous said...

"I'd better post up something fun and quickly after the academic seriousness of the last entry before you all desert me"

Astonishingly adept artist appends amusing allegro address after austere article afore acolytes abscond ? :)

Anonymous said...

brilliant bibliophile billets boffo bulletin before blah, boring, bombastic bullcrap breaks believers' brains ? :)

bibliobibuli said...

i think i love you anon - name your prize

Anonymous said...

I love anon too. Name your name! ;-)

Anonymous said...

I don't suppose you could get the BC to stock Terry Pratchett.. :D

bibliobibuli said...

will definitely look into it ...

Anonymous said...

Ha, good luck. It would be like Claridge's having chips on the menu.