A Word with Pizzazz!
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11 Learn when and how to enrich your prose with foreign words P55 pizzazz [pɪzˈæz ] [uncountable] informal something that has pizzazz is exciting and has a strong interesting style: A word with pizzazz! MAY 1ST, 2007 Q: Oh, how I would love to know where the expression “full of pizzazz” comes from! The phrase itself is full of pizzazz! Is it a Boston thing? Is it a 1940s and 1950s expression? A: The noun “pizzazz” (also spelled “pizazz” and “pazazz”) originated in the 1910s and originally meant an expert or an exemplar, according to Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang. (This was news to me too!) In the 1920s, the meaning evolved into style, glamour, or ostentation. By the 1930s, it was being used to mean energy or zest. I’d guess this is the meaning in the expression “full of pizzazz.” The word’s etymology is unknown, though the Oxford English Dictionary says it’s frequently attributed to Diana Vreeland, the late fashion maven. (Cassell’s Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins is duBious about the Vreeland attribution.) The OED’s first published reference is from Harper’s Bazaar in 1937, the year Vreeland arrived at the magazine as a columnist. Here’s the citation: “Pizazz, to quote the editor of the Harvard Lampoon, is an indefinable dynamic quality, the je ne sais quoi of function; as for instance, adding Scotch puts pizazz in a drink.” Although its origin is unknown, “pizzazz” has echoes in “razzle” (a spree or a good time) and “razzmatazz” (showy, high-class, or an exclamation of pleasure). I think people Back then had a lot more energy than we do today. The Elements of Style (1918), by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White, is a prescriptive American English writing style guide comprising eight "elementary rules of usage", ten "elementary principles of composition", "a few matters of form", a list of forty-nine "words and expressions commonly misused", and a list of fifty-seven "words often misspelled". In 2011, Time magazine listed The Elements of Style as one of the 100 best and most influential books written in English since 1923. P56 Slumdog Millionaire 2008 年のイギリス映画。インド人外交官のヴィカス・スワラップの小説『ぼくと 1 ルピーの神様』(ランダ ムハウス講談社)をダニー・ボイルが映画化。 第 33 回トロント国際映画祭観客賞、第 66 回ゴールデングローブ賞作品賞(ドラマ部門)、第 62 回英 国アカデミー賞作品賞受賞。第 81 回アカデミー賞では作品賞を含む 8 部門を受賞した。 Bollywood The informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai (Bombay), Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; however, it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centres producing films in multiple languages. Bollywood is the largest film producer in India and one of the largest centres of film production in the world. Jai Ho the theme song of the 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire Slumdog Millionaire Jai Ho Dance Scene (from YouTube) The Origins and Development of the English Language by Thomas Pyles Gaelic [ˈgālik] Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels", including language and culture. As a noun, it may refer to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Leprechaun [léprəkὰːn] A leprechaun (Irish: leipreachán) is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology.[1] The Leprechauns spend all their time busily making shoes, and store away all their coins in a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If ever captured by a human, the Leprechaun has the magical power to grant three wishes in exchange for their release. Popular depiction shows the Leprechaun as being no taller than a small child, with a beard and hat, although they may originally have been perceived as the tallest of the mound-dwellers (the Tuatha Dé Danann). Shamrock [ mr k] The shamrock refers to the young sprigs of clover or trefoil. It is known as a symbol of Ireland, with St. Patrick having used it as a metaphor for the Christian Trinity, according to legend. The name shamrock is derived from Irish seamróg, which is the diminutive version of the Irish word for clover (seamair) meaning simply "little clover" or "young clover". Shamrock is usually considered to refer to either the species Trifolium dubium (lesser clover, Irish: seamair bhuí) or Trifolium repens (white clover, Irish: seamair bhán). However, other three- leaved plants—such as Medicago lupulina, Trifolium pratense, and Oxalis acetosella—are sometimes called shamrocks or clovers. The shamrock was traditionally used for its medicinal properties and was a popular motif in Victorian times. P57 The King James Version of the Bible 欽定訳聖書(きんていやくせいしょ)は、国王の命令によって翻訳された聖書である。複数あるが、単に 「欽定訳」と言った場合は、とくに「ジェイムズ王訳」(King James Version あるいは Authorized Version) として名高い、1611 年刊行の英訳聖書を指す。 イングランド王ジェームズ 1 世がイングランド国教会の典礼で用いるための聖書の標準訳を求め、王 の命令で翻訳されたためにこの名がある。欽定訳は 19 世紀末に至るまでイングランド国教会で用い られた唯一の公式英訳聖書である。また、日本における文語訳聖書のように、荘厳で格調高い文体か ら、口語訳の普及した現在も多くの愛読者を保ち続けている。 Groundlings [ r undli ] P58 Avenue Q Official Website: http://www.avenueqthemusical.co.uk/ Avenue Q is an American musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore. Avenue Q is an "autobiographical and biographical" coming-of-age parable, addressing and satirizing the issues and anxieties associated with entering adulthood. Its characters lament that as children, they were assured by their parents, and by children's television programs such as PBS's Sesame Street, that they were "special" and "could do anything"; but as adults, they have discovered to their surprise and dismay that in the real world their options are limited, and they are no more "special" than anyone else.[1] The musical is notable for the use of puppets alongside human actors. Originally conceived as a television series, the show was developed as a stage production at the 2002 National Music Theatre Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. It opened Off-Broadway in March 2003, co-produced by The New Group and the Vineyard Theatre, and transferred to Broadway in July 2003 where it won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and spawned Las Vegas and West End productions, two national tours, and a variety of international productions. With 2,534 performances, Avenue Q ranks 23rd on the list of longest running shows in Broadway history. The show ended its Broadway run on September 13, 2009, and then reopened Off- Broadway at New World Stages in October 2009. Stratford-upon-Avon ストラトフォード・アポン・エイヴォン (Stratford-upon-Avon) は、イングランド中部のウォ リックシャーにある町。 文豪ウィリアム・シェークスピアの故郷として世界的に知られており、多くの観光客が訪れ る。年間 500,000 人の観光客が訪れる。 Pulitzer Prize ピューリッツァー賞(ピューリッツァーしょう、Pulitzer Prize)は、新聞等の印刷報道、 文学、作曲に与えられる米国で最も権威ある賞である。コロンビア大学ジャーナリズム大 学院が、同賞の運営を行っている。 Points p.61 •punctuation (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Punctuation marks are symbols that indicate the structure and organization of written language, as well as intonation and pauses to be observed when reading aloud. •punctual 1. Acting or arriving exactly at the time appointed; prompt. 2. Paid or accomplished at or by the appointed time. 3. Precise; exact. 4. Confined to or having the nature of a point in space. 5. Linguistics Of, related to, or being the verbal aspect that expresses momentary action or action considered as having no temporal duration. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/punctual) •puncture 1. The act or an instance of puncturing. 2. A hole, cut, or tear created by a sharp object. (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/puncture) •Brits (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) A Brit is a citizen or native of the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies or British Overseas Territories. p.62 •orators One who delivers an oration One distinguished for skill and power as a public speaker (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orator) •Victor Borge (cf. Victor Borge[Amazon.com]) Pianist, composer, songwriter, entertainer and actor, educated at Borgerdydskolen and the Conservatory of Copenhagen. He studied with Egon Petri and Frederic Lammond. His concert career began in 1922, and he performed in a musical revue in 1934, and in films by 1937. Arriving in the US in 1940, he made his American radio debut on the Bing Crosby show. He was featured in his own one-man show "Comedy in Music", plus concert appearances throughout the USA and Europe. Joining ASCAP in 1961, he composed "Blue Serenade". (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0096493/bio) •narrative flow The importance of narrative flow •ellipse A curved line forming a closed loop, where the sum of the distances from two points (foci) to every point on the line is constant. (http://www.mathopenref.com/ellipse.html) •Laura Hillenbrand (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Hillenbrand's first book was the acclaimed Seabiscuit: An American Legend (2001), a nonfiction account of the career of the great racehorse Seabiscuit, for which she won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2001. She says she was compelled to tell the story because she "found fascinating people living a story that was improbable, breathtaking and ultimately more satisfying than any story [she'd] ever come across."[1] She first told the story through an essay, "Four Good Legs Between Us," that she sold to American Heritage magazine, and the feedback was positive, so she decided to proceed with a full nonfiction book.[1] Upon the book's release, she received rave reviews for her storytelling and research.[2][3] It was made into the Academy Award nominated film Seabiscuit (2003). Hillenbrand's second book was Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (2010), a biography of World War II Hero Louis Zamperini.[4] Her essays Have appeared in THe New Yorker, Equus magazine, American Heritage, THe Blood-Horse, THorougHbred Times, THe Backstretch, Turf and Sport DiGest, and many otHer publications.