51吃瓜 of the Day
tohubohu
noun
chaos; disorder; confusion.
More about tohubohu
Tohubohu, 鈥渃haos; disorder; confusion,鈥� comes from Hebrew t艒h奴 w膩-bh艒h奴, a phrase occurring in Genesis 1:2, and translated in the King James version as 鈥�(And the earth was) without form, and void.鈥� 罢艒丑奴 w膩-bh艒h奴 is an example of hendiadys, a rhetorical device in which two similar words are connected by and to express a single idea, here emptiness, void. 罢艒丑奴 means 鈥渆mptiness, waste, desert, vanity, nothing.鈥� 叠艒丑奴 is traditionally translated as 鈥渧oid, emptiness鈥�; it is used in Genesis for its paronomastic or rhyming effect. Another example of hendiadys comes from the Gospel of Matthew (7:14): 鈥淏ecause strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,鈥� which was later misinterpreted to be 鈥渟traight and narrow (path).鈥� Tohubohu entered English in the first half of the 17th century.
how is tohubohu used?
What we have in poetry, it appears, is poetry in a vacuum, which is even worse than poetry in a Salad Shooter or a hot-air corn popper. There is no consensus about the culture, and therefore no common ground on which poets, critics, scholars, students or even readers (are there any left?) can share assumptions and discuss with some coherence the great questions of life and art.
To suggest this tohubohu in a manner that may be unfair but is quick, efficient and vivid, let me cite a few blurbs from the pile of poetry collections on my table …
The Atlantic declared 2015 鈥渢he best year in history for the average human being,鈥� a laughable departure from our recent state of political and pandemic-born tohubohu.
tohubohu
penetralia
plural noun
the innermost parts or recesses of a place or thing.
More about penetralia
Penetralia, 鈥渢he innermost parts or recesses of a place or thing,鈥� comes straight from Latin 辫别苍别迟谤腻濒颈补, the (neuter plural) noun use of the adjective 辫别苍别迟谤腻濒颈蝉 鈥渋nner, innermost, interior,鈥� a derivative of the verb 辫别苍别迟谤腻谤别 鈥渢o penetrate, gain entrance, cross.鈥� The Latin words are related to the preposition penes 鈥渦nder the control of, in the possession of,鈥� the adverb penitus 鈥渇rom within, from inside,鈥� and the plural noun 笔别苍腻迟脓蝉 鈥渢he guardian deities of the Roman larder or pantry鈥� (deep inside the house), who were regarded as controlling the destiny of the household. Penetralia entered English in the second half of the 17th century.
how is penetralia used?
He wished to be what he called “safe” with all those whom he had admitted to the penetralia of his house and heart.
Lounge chairs have sprouted up in yards and driveways like propagating agave, and many of us have migrated from the penetralia of our backyards to porches and lawns.
penetralia
More about satori
In Zen Buddhism, satori means 鈥渟udden spiritual enlightenment.鈥� The Zen sense of satori is a more specific sense of the noun satori 鈥渃omprehension, understanding,鈥� a derivative of the verb satoru 鈥渢o perceive, comprehend, awaken (spiritually).鈥� Satori entered English in the first half of the 18th century.
how is satori used?
Perhaps Adams reached satori, emptied his mind of all thought, and then didn’t know what to think about it.
Satori is the sudden flashing into consciousness of a new truth hitherto undreamed of. It is a sort of mental catastrophe taking place all at once, after much piling up of matters intellectual and demonstrative. The piling has reached a limit of stability and the whole edifice has come tumbling to the ground, when, behold, a new heaven is open to full survey.
satori