Stuart Aken's Blog, page 325

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Nabob

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Nabob: noun - certain Muslim officials acting as deputy governors of provinces in the Mughal Empire; a governor of an Indian town or district; someone of great wealth or high rank, particularly one returning from India with a large fortune.
'They all referred to Brian as "the nabob", after he returned from unknown lands with more money than he could possibly account for and his hint that his ill-gotten gains had somehow been acquired on the sub-continent.' 

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Mac

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Mac: noun -  also as Mc- the patronymic prefix in many Scottish & Irish names; someone whose name contains the prefix Mac-; a Scotsman, a familiar form of address to an unknown male; the trade name for a specific type of computer.
'There was some unintended irony in the way MacDonald called every man he met, "Mac", without ever realising it was an oblique reference to his own surname.'

Edit, what edit?

Three things have happened since I started this.
First of all, I decided I had come to the end of the first volume. Then, I had this enforced break, described below, and realised that, in fact, I can't end the book at that particular point as it leaves one of the main characters in a situation that readers wouldn't appreciate at the end of a volume. So, I'll have to do a few more chapters.
The break has occurred because I decided to bite the bullet and buy a laptop, mostly for my wife to use (at present she shares our daughter's PC, but Kate is due to go to University later this year and will need to take it with her, of course. Also, as her studies grow more intense in the run-up to the exams in June, she'll need free access to her PC). Of course, the new laptop runs on Windows 7 and I've installed Office 2010. this means, for my PC to be compatible, I had to install Win7 and Office 2010 on that as well!
I'm almost there now. But work is particularly busy at this time of the year as well, so I'm pretty weary when I return home.
With luck, I'll return to the edit on Thursday (my week ends on a Wednesday, as I work part time due to ME/CFS). So, watch this space for the next update. If you can stand the tension!

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Label

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Label: noun - a strip or band, fillet, ribbon; a small piece of paper fixed to a document as a note, a codicil; a slip of paper, cardboard, metal, etc., fixed to something to carry information, instructions, etc., a piece of fabric sewn inside a garment bearing a name, size, etc; a circular piece of paper on the centre of a record giving details; short phrase or name applied to someone or something; brand name; a branded product or its manufacturer; a recording company making records under a specific name; a substance (an isotope or dye) used to identify some other chemical substance: verb – the act of applying a name tag or chemical identifier to something or someone.
'Gerald unashamedly sought the label before he would even contemplate wearing an item; for him, the name of the maker was more important than the intrinsic value or look of the garment so that friends often accused him of being a walking advert for his favourite designers.'
'Don't you dare label me a 'thief' just because I habitually download music, books and pictures without paying for them.' said Sandra.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Kaleidoscope

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Kaleidoscope: noun – a toy made of a tube containing mirrors and bits of coloured glass or paper which make constantly changing patterns of coloured reflections as the observer looks in and rotates the tube;  an ever-changing group of bright colours or coloured objects; something constantly shifting and changing:  verb - appear as in a kaleidoscope; move in a kaleidoscopic manner.
'Witnessing the struggles of the children emerging from the terror of imprisonment into the light and air of freedom sent a kaleidoscope of emotions through Sarah as she considered the dread they'd experienced turning to joy and exultation.'
'A fitful breeze made the multicoloured leaves of the New England trees, in the Fall, kaleidoscope as they twisted, turned and trembled in the ever-changing currents of air.'

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Jabble

Jabble:  noun – Scottish - slight agitation of water, splashing in small waves or ripples.
'Kerry's toes, wiggling in the beck, caused a jabble, disturbing the water lily pads enough to eject a small frog, which she plucked from the water with delicate fingers, brought to her sweet and sensuous lips, and bit in two.'

How to Buy Ebooks Easily, Using Twitter

Just click on the link via the post title and you'll find a short feature to help you with this. it allows you to find, download, sample or buy ebooks in about 2 clicks.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Iambic

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Iambic: adjective - characterized by, or based on iambuses, of a poet using iambic metres: noun - an iambic foot or poem, a metrical unit with unstressed-stressed syllables.
This term is used to describe a classical type of verse, in which  a short syllable is followed by a long one, unaccented. Shakespeare is usually considered to have written in iambic pentameter, though not all his lines follow the rule when spoken in a natural voice. But, I can do no better here than quote the undisputed master.
And Gentlemen in England now abedShall think themselves accursed they were not here,And hold their manhood cheap, whiles any speaksThat fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
(Shakespeare, Henry V, act IV, scene III)

Edit Temporarily Suspended.

Image via WikipediaToday, I haven't even looked at the fantasy. Writers have to live as well, you know. So, today, I've had my hair cut, which has stopped me turning into a living copy of the missing link (well, almost, anyway). Also, my mobile phone decided to have a fit (it was free with something I bought a couple of years ago, so no real loss) but I had to buy a new one. And then, having discussed the issue for the past half century, my wife and I decided it was probably time we had a new bed. Of course, no hope of such a purchase in this small market town, so we had to travel. In 2 weeks, with luck, we'll start spending nights in the blissful comfort of memory foam. Whatever happened to brass bedsteads and straw filled mattresses, that's what I want to know.
Also, as those of you who have been paying attention will recall, I have reached the conclusion of book 1 and need to write an entire new chapter to bring book 2 to those who might try to read it before reading book 1 (there are such folk about, you know).
And, on top of all this, I'm pooped, weary, tired, exhausted and knackered. So, I'm going to retire to the sitting room, pour a glass or two of the vintage claret my writing group bought me for editing the anthology,  and watch QI, Mastermind and whatever other fare the TV producers care to toss in my direction. So, I'll bid you all a good night.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Haberdasher

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Haberdasher: noun - dealer in household items, in hats and caps, in small things related to dress; thread, tape, ribbon, buttons etc.
'If I remember correctly, in H.G. Wells The History of Mr Polly, the eponymous hero worked for a time as a haberdasher and, in selling items for her clothing, meet there his first wife.'