Friday 20 January 2017

‘The decent obscurity of a learned language’

Often the hardest thing about this weekly posting is the title which is when I resort to a dictionary of quotations. Today’s is from Edward Gibbons (1737-1794) and begins ‘My English text is chaste, and all licentious passages are left in (the decent obscurity ...)’.  Obscurity is what Jeffrey appeared to several of us to deliver last week, albeit it thought-provoking, and was something I was guilty of as well, with my mis-remembering one of the prompt words and forgetting to change the dates.

Less ambiguous is my choice for this week’s winner who, outstandingly, is Zaiure for her breathtaking fifth instalment of ‘Regrets’. Patricia is a close runner-up, for the double whammy of ‘He Who Hesitates ...’ and ‘Fortune Favours’. As ever, thanks are due to you all for participating and for commenting.

Words for next week:  adamant marinade tiger

Entries by midnight Thursday 26th January, new words posted on Friday 27th

Usual rules: 100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above in the genres of horror, fantasy, science fiction or noir. Serialised fiction is, as always, welcome. All variants and use of the words and stems are fine. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever social media.

65 comments:

  1. Thank you! :) And congrats to Patricia for two awesome reads.

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    1. As always, your talented pen brings us a story worthy of top honors. Congratulations, Zaiure. Ye Gods, it's good to have you back!

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    2. Sandra;
      So, because he didn't write in Anglo-Saxon, nobody understood his words, so they fell into obscurity due to lack of understanding.

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  2. Jeffrey here;

    Bouquet delivered congratulations to Zaiure and Patricia.


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    1. Jeffrey here and confused.

      Can the quote you have in the opening be translated or given meaning or is that the ironic jest of the quote? I've been a bit bothered by it since I read it earlier.

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    2. Well, thank you, Jeffrey.
      ::::Executes regal curtsey and royal wave::::

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    3. Jeffrey: sorry you are confused; this, from 'On London' is out of context, but seems clear enough to me. I take it to mean he does not resort to Anglo Saxon.

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    4. Jeffrey
      [replying here to your "So, because he didn't write in Anglo-Saxon, nobody understood his words, so they fell into obscurity due to lack of understanding." to keep it tidy]

      I took it to mean rather than use the commonly-used and understood 'fuck' Gibbon maybe chose e.g. 'coitus' for politer, better-educated circles. I don't think he suffered from misunderstanding; written language was far richer then.

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    5. Congrats Zaiure and Patricia, Sorry I've not been around much, an awful lot going on at the moment. Mostly good.

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  3. brilliant win, Zaiure and congrats Patricia.

    I have been driven mad all day trying to find the story to go with adamant - see why in a minute, involving me in googling things and starting pieces and dropping them again because they didn't work out. This one did.

    The Fan
    So I painted on the tiger stripes, got the frilly shirt and the cocked hat and the pistol and the whole bit and went to the party as Adam Ant. Or Adamant if you like. No-one knew who I was. Went around singing 'Stand And Deliver' and got told to shut up. Stuffed myself with the fish in marinade and gagged on a bone or two. People laughed, thought it was part of the act. So I crept out and lit the gunpowder trail I’d laid outside just in case. I won’t be laughed at. He wasn’t. They won’t again.

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    1. Oh, fantastic, Antonia!! A huge round of applause for this. And of course I remember him. I've a photo of my then three year old with sticky paper stripes on his face, coming downstairs singing it with all the moves!

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    2. Jeffrey here, on dinner time;

      I might not be able to enter a submission this week. My other writing group has a contest and this weekend is my last time to finish the story and finalize the poem. I will try but those are definitely not easy prompts. One might even say that they came from the depths of obscurity.��

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    3. Jeffrey here;

      An excellent story and I remember him as well(I know don't use 'as' but fooey, I'm using it) a movie and he was looking like Valentino. I hope this coonts for this week.

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    4. Loved Adam Ant. In fact, every time I see "adamant," that's how it translates in my mind. He was such a character. Magnificent story. I don't usually comment until much later in the week, but this was just too delicious to wait.

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    5. thank you! It drove me mad, from the moment I saw the prompt to the final line, absolute frustration at getting it right! Been looking at the photos on his website, he's still got it... big time...

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    6. Adam Ant and Adamant have always been interchangeable in my mind for reasons explained below. I really enjoyed this piece playful , but also riven with malice aforethought.

      Forgive me but Adamant is also a brand printed within the porcelain-ware of an item that appears in the gents rest room, leading me to often end up singing (under my breath of course) " we are family of well known nobility we are family" at the most in appropriate of times. which also brings me to the best Graffiti I ever read in a convenience in Devon. "The cleaners work is done in vain, the pisspot scribbler strikes again!"

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  4. Change of focus [219]

    It was in the sense of a mother’s fierce defence of her children that Pettinger described Valdeta as a tiger, even as, illogically adamant, skin still bearing evidence of damage, as if marinaded in a brew of turmeric and damson, she insisted their safety resided only in Khakbethia.
    ‘You’re frightened of the unknown –‘
    ‘With good reason –‘
    ‘Even though the known has not been good to you –‘
    ‘Good enough –‘
    ‘Yet you had no qualms about sending Aleks into the unknown! Hasn’t he told you how much better life is there?‘
    ‘He tells me of woman called Sally.’

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    1. love the dialogue this week, so sharp, so natural, cutting each other off like that.
      And another cliff hanger, of course... what will we learn about Sally, I wonder...

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    2. Again, the dialogue is as smooth as Cadbury's chocolate. Hmmm....Sally? The name rings no bells at the moment. Did I miss something? I have a feeling I might have.

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    3. I love the phrase "skin still bearing evidence of damage, as if marinaded in a brew of turmeric and damson" It's so descriptive and for me adds another dimension.

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  5. Girls' Night

    Dinner party invitations had been issued and accepted. Tiger Lily spent the entire morning preparing her uniquely special marinades and sauces. The meal must be foolproof.

    She was surprised when Peter showed up with Tinkerbell on one arm and Wendy on the other. His presence had not been requested and she was adamant that he find his own amusement for the evening. She had certainly carefully planned her own.

    He could come back later, after everything had been disposed of to her satisfaction and she was free to give him her undivided attention.

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    1. 'disposed' - there's the magic key-word. This calmly-envisaged, smooth nastiness.

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    2. nicely done, menace without stating it, so much undercurrent here it almost carries you away. Clever one.

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    3. Ouch that one has got disturbingly under my skin.

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  6. Horizontal thoughts

    Tip of tongue started at the hollow of my throat, her warm, topaz-gold tiger’s eyes glinting a promise of more to come. In my head, while rational thought was still possible, I addressed the sanctimonious prick that was my brother, assured him yet again that paid-for variation way out beat the thrice-weekly ennui of the marital bed he, ever-adamant, tried to convince me was superior.

    He didn’t know how much his wife liked money. And I doubt he let her do to him what she – tongue marinaded in honey, with just a soupçon of paprika – so deliciously did to me.

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    1. another smooth as silk vignette, would love to see more of this.

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    2. Oh my a deliciously vicious insight into brotherly rivalry.

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    3. This was delicious in imagery and wordery -- is that an actual word? Regardless, it fits well so I'm using it. I smiled more than I should have at "sanctimonious prick."

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  7. Defending charge of pricktease [Threshold 148]

    I’d be the first to admit I lacked the skills of a courtesan but lack of other options led me to consider trying. Maybe initially in the guise of healing? Tiger balm – a contradiction in terms if ever I heard one – but possibly appropriate right now, soothingly applied with finger-tips to places he’d been adamant would not respond.
    Oysters supposedly aphrodisiac, aren’t they? Perhaps marinaded in champagne? Sounds disgusting; I don’t have the time and alcohol likely just as efficacious.
    Soft-spoke words? A conversation on the merits (or otherwise) of wolfhounds?
    Maybe.
    But start by persuading him to lie down.

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    1. but of course... get them to lie down and anything could happen. In this case, it probably will...

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    2. I so love the title of this episode. The drowsiness that becomes apaprent when laying down will no doubt work in her favour.

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    3. This was so subtle in its erotica that it almost slips under the radar as such ... almost! Another outstanding installment to an outstanding story.

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  8. Cripplegate Junction/Part 80-Mibsters

    Even if Clive Bailey wanted to change his mind, the Station Master was adamant they continue to the Canteen.

    Violet, adding another pinch of nutmeg to currant marinade for the Station Master's favourite Eccles Cakes, didn't hear them enter until the request came for tea.

    On the floor, Christopher sorted marbles.

    "I had a collection like that when young," said Clive. "I played Ringer with my school chums all the time." He sounded like a small boy. "One afternoon, I won a rare Agate Flame with my Tiger Eye Shooter."

    Christopher dribbled marbles into a net pouch.

    "I remember that!"

    --------------------------------------------------------
    To read the earlier installments (a suggestion only) which led to this point in the tale please visit:
    http://www.novareinna.com/cripplegate.html
    A link to return to "The Prediction" can be found on the site. Thank you.
    ---------------------------------------------------------

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    1. Proper vintage Cripplegate this - so good to see Christopher back.
      [An hour or so ago a writing friend left a message saying he'd wait for me in the Signal Box cafe at Bodmin Parkway - thoughts of Cripplegate Junction well and truly fired my imagination!]

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    2. Those who like to play marbles. LOL.

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    3. learning more new words, we just sold the entire bowl of marbles we had in the shop, and I never got the chance to use the word... what a shame!
      and what a lovely smooth instalment! I think the key word this week is smooth, they all sort of carry you along and then slam in an ending.

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    4. Consider me educated, I recently discovered my stash of Marbles in a small quality street tin in the loft, I never knew my childhood past time had a name.

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    5. Quality Street!!! My father's favourite sweets, along with Cadbury's Roses coming in a close second. For me, it was Black Magic.

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    6. My marbles in a tin that once held toffees, with an image of St Paul's Cathedral on the front.

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  9. Running a little late due to a challenge and critiques on another site, but I will return tomorrow with (hopefully) a new "Kursaal" installment and (certainly) comments on this week's offerings.

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    1. Where else are you participating? There are so many sites out there it's hard to choose.

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  10. It's called "Legendfire." It's where I first encountered Antonia and heard about her participation in an ongoing 100 word serializatuon she participated in on a weekly basis. I was very interested. I asked about it and the rest, as they say, is rock and roll. Legendfire hosts periodic challenges and one of those is taking place right now. All those who submit entries (anonymously) are required to also critique and score the other submissions. Can be time-consuming but great fun and very enlightening.

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    1. Thanks. I'll check it out, probably next week as I'm away for the next four days.

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  11. The people there are really nice. They're not afraid to give critiques that are helpful and honest. There is a monthly challenge -- not like the one going on now which is a "special event" -- where there is a theme and three prompt words. The challenge is voted on at the end of each month and similar to here, must be between 95-100 words. I look forward to seeing you there. :)

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  12. Infinity 183
    There are times when I needs must do sommat no cap’n should do. The crew were adamant they wouldn’t or couldn’t cook, so I cooked a meal for them. Yes, I did it, marinaded their meat, it were a bit rank so it worked, made a dessert with tiger stripes out of brown sugar, got them stuffing their faces and forgetting all else and they was up the rigging and setting sail for the southerly islands as if all was well. If pushed I’ll do it again until we recruit someone, it beat standing at the wheel for hours.

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    1. This an unexpected to the Captain, but good to see he's confident enough to do it! That a definite strength!

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    2. Something I never envisaged from the Captain but he demonstrates himself to be a true leader of men.

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    3. Sounds like the Captain is not above channeling Gordon Ramsay if necessary. Ah, the talents that seaman has. Quite steals my heart away.

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  13. it would be good to see more Challenge people at Legendfire. What seems to happen is newbies arrive full of fire and energy, see the standard of the critiques, line by line usually, and flee into the dark night where newbies never learn. Shame, some of them revealed true talent, others you could see would never make it. I haven't worked out the ratio of arrivals/stayers yet.
    It's a varied and interesting site with many forums, the Shredder is for 200 words or less, good for sorting out troublesome paragraphs or openings, a whole forum for fiction and non fiction, poetry, question, resources, discussions on literature, discussions on just about anything, interactive writing, the lot. Add in the monthly competitions and the several times a year big competition and it is one varied and fascinating site. That makes it even more annoying that so many don't stay. It does mean that serious committed writers do stay and benefit both ways, giving and getting critiques and joining in with everything else. There's even writing games!

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    1. I'm always up for a challenge so will try to wander that way myself. Alas my world is a bit mad at the moment. I have a film making course, a new demanding client at work, then the cat situation took on a new demanding turn, then my better half put her back out, add into the mix a teen on the GCSE treadmill and two other young uns. Probably won't be for a few months.

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  14. Kursaal (Episode Fifty Five) -- "For The Taking"

    Isabella la Gaya linked arms with Constable Twittering and steered him toward Lottie's Larder where Charlotte Fitzroy, owner and culinary artist, was setting out a display of delectable consumables.

    "Tiger Nuts," declared Twittering. "Haven't seen those since I was a boy!"

    "My own unique recipe," said Charlotte, "prepared in a special marinade of arrowroot, coconut oil and a secret ingredient."

    She offered him a dish, adamant that it be complimentary.

    "Doesn't taste the same as I remember," said Twittering with a frown.

    "So often the case," sympathized Isabella. "Don't you find one's memory is remarkably unreliable most of the time?"

    --------------------------------------------------------
    To read the earlier installments (a suggestion only) which led to this point in the tale, please visit:
    http://www.novareinna.com/kursaal.html
    A link to return to "The Prediction" can be found on the site. Thank you.
    ---------------------------------------------------------

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    1. That 'linked arms' and the intervention of Charlotte and her tray of tiger nuts had me picturing a somewhat compromised Constable Twittering. Easy to undervalue (not the right word but I can't think of the precise one) how cleverly you create such scenes because they seem so effortless; quite the opposite of the dedication required.

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    2. I wonder if Twittering might be left Fittering when the secret ingredient kicks in. A fine disturbing picture painted.

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  15. The Decoy Dame

    "Mmmm, hello there, tiger."

    Tiger? She was the one purring. Draped across a chair, using a fine leg to great advantage. Judging by the glasses in front of her she'd been marinading for a couple hours.

    "I don't think I've seen you here before."

    She smiled, suddenly adamant. "Look harder, maybe you'll remember."

    It was a great act, but a flick of her eyes towards something behind me was enough. I ducked just as the sap flew past my ear, caught Big Benny in the gut with a roundhouse left. She gasped, he groaned. "Sorry doll, better luck next time."

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    1. A fast moving piece (quite literally), a tale so fnely painted.

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    2. And again, visions of Robert Mitchum or Humphrey Bogart leaning back in a chair behind a scratched-up desk. These installments always conjure up noir paperback covers in my mind.

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    3. Such vividly-drawn action in this; I know exactly what Patricia means.

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  16. No Longer A Woolf At The Door

    You were a tiger of unspoken desire,
    Adamant in your yearning, I was a moth to your fire.
    Our passion unbridled, though our union forbidden,
    A tender secret of beauty best kept well hidden.

    A troubled soul with a tender heart
    I became Orlando, your work of art.
    Our love departed but was not your end,
    In March 41 I lost my friend.

    You stepped into the river with pockets of stone,
    to Marinade away your troubles in water alone.
    When I heard of your passing my heart hit the floor.
    Never again will this Woolf call at my door.

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    1. Must be a dedication to Virginia Wolf, correct? I love how you manage to weave historical facts into your poetry. It's a talent that I'm sure not many possess. Another fine contribution.

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    2. That's not where I started, but it is indeed an imagined tribute from Vita Sackville-West to Virginia Woolf. I am most fortunate to live near to both their former homes, and thanks to national trust membership I have been able to visit them often.

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    3. Yes, that ability to connect with and turn actuality into story is one I envy, and this a poignant tribute.

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  17. The Adventures of Rosebud, Pirate Princess #61
    The Emperor's New Clothes Syndrome


    Today the prophets of This Land claimed the purple tigers that formerly stalked the nation had risen again. They were all adamant that this return portended something-an upcoming declaration of war, the downfall of the monarchy, the discovery of a new recipe for a marinade-though they disagreed on what that something was. Of course no outsider has seen any evidence of tigers returning from extinction, purple or otherwise, but all the natives swear they’re just over the next dune or they just went behind a building. I usually stick to the other six nations of the continent.

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    1. Enjoyable, whimsical, unique and humorous as I have come to expect. This would make for an enchanting picture book. Love the idea that the return of the tigers -- purple or otherwise -- may be nothing but a rumour.

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    2. Oh Rosie, part of me aches for the picture book to appear, while at the same time fearing it might not match the images your words so vividly build in my head. Purple Tigers! Lovely.

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