“We’re so distracted by how things end, we usually forget how beautiful the beginning was.”
— Ryan Vandeput
media
Nolite te bastardes carborundorum, bitches
“Nolite te bastardes carborundorum, bitches”
— Margaret Atwood; The Haidmaid’s Tale.
(broken Latin, meaning ‘don’t let the bastards grind you down’)
Many will recognise this quote from Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian novel ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (and the subsequent – and epic – Hulu adaptation for the small screen). But where does this ‘fake’ Latin phrase originate? Michael Fontaine, a classics professor from Cornell University; and this blog’s author, Ryan Vandeput, an English Literature Masters Graduate from the University of Leicester, took their best guesses.
“It was likely an old school joke, for those who took Latin class. It’s not really ‘true’ Latin; rather, it sounds like something a school pupil made up for fun. It might even be something Margaret Atwood remembers from her schooling & childhood” surmised Vandeput. Another similar Latin joke phrase with the same supposed translation is “illegitimi non carborundorum,” which Fontaine noted was equally fake—though it’s perhaps a little more legit as Latin, since it at least doesn’t use the made-up “bastardes.”
“Illegitimi is a real Latin word,” Fontaine continues. “It could indeed mean ‘bastards’ (though it’s not the usual word, which is spurius or nothos).”
“My guess is that c. 1890-1900, some American people thought it would be funny to pretend like ‘carborundum’ was actually a Latin word meaning ‘needing to be worn down’ or (making allowances for ignorance, which is surely part of it) ‘to wear down.’ If the phrase was originally illegitimis non carborundum, then the original idea was that ‘there must not be a wearing down (of you) by the bastards,’ or in plain English, ‘don’t let the bastards get you down.’ Either then or soon after, illegitimis would have become illegitimi, which changes the grammar, but most English speakers can’t tell because our grammar doesn’t work that way. That would pretty quickly give you illegitimi non carborundum”
“The key to the mystery is knowing that carborundum was a trade name (for an abrasive scrubbing powder used for cleaning),” he continued. “Whatever it was, it’s not in use any more, so we’ve lost all memory of it. Nowadays it just looks like a strange, broken Latin word to us,” Fontaine concluded.
— Ryan Vandeput, 2018
The Achingly Beautiful ‘Bending Albert’s Law’ by Karin Park – with Lyrics
The washing machine needs fixing here,
It’s early dark this time of year,
It’s small and cold,
I’m hiding in here,
Behind orange drapes,
And wafer walls,
I made a mess,
To make it feel like home,
Oh the stuff I packed,
Can’t fill this hole.
I conjure you up,
You appear,
It’s ridiculous,
That you’re not here,
I bend Albert’s Law, slightly,
I say the magic word,
And you’re beside me.
Out on Crouchen Hill,
You pull past and through,
I try your phone,
And I bought dry shoes,
The squelch of rubber soles on wet tar,
There’s too many steps,
From where you are.
I conjure you up,
You appear,
It’s ridiculous,
That you’re not here,
I bend Albert’s Law, slightly,
I say the magic word,
And you’re beside me.
I conjure you up,
You appear,
It’s ridiculous,
That you’re not here,
I bend Albert’s Law, slightly,
I say the magic word,
‘til you’re beside me.
~ Karin Park (Bend Albert’s Law, from the album Highwire Poetry)
{With special thanks to Chris, for touching my soul with this beautiful song}
NOTE:
These lyrics have been transcribed from listening to the song… many times! Any corrections gratefully accepted. And what is Albert’s Law? Please get in touch – leave a comment below or email me on rycariad@gmail.com – I would love to hear from you.
Links:
www.karinpark.com
www.facebook.com/karinpark
www.myspace.com/karinpark
www.last.fm/music/Karin+Park
www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/qj4z
Buy on iTunes:
www.itunes.apple.com/gb/album/highwire-poetry-deluxe-edition/id525778296
Buy on Amazon:
Writers & Artists in Residence Project
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I would also love to hear from artists and photographers who would be willing to use rycariad.co.uk as a creative outlet. Whether you paint, draw, sculpt, or create in any media, I’d love to showcase your work.
Being a ‘Featured Contributor’ is really easy. Almost as easy as sending a simple email! Just drop me a line on rycariad@gmail.com and I’ll do the rest!
Hope to hear from you soon!
Mumford & Sons: New Single ‘While I Wait’ from Babel – Official Audio
Michael Bublé: Haven’t Met You Yet (Official Music Video & Lyrics)
I’m not surprised, not everything lasts
I’ve broken my heart so many times I stopped keeping track
Talk myself in, I talk myself out
I get all worked up then I let myself down
I tried so very hard not to loose it
I came up with a million excuses
I thought, I thought of every possibility
And I know some day that it’ll all turn out
You’ll make me work so we can work to work it out
And I promise you kid that I give so much more than I get
I just haven’t met you yet
I might have to wait, I’ll never give up
I guess it’s half timin and the other half’s luck
Wherever you are, whenever it’s right
You’ll come outta nowhere and into my life
And I know that we can be so amazin
And baby your love is gonna change me
And now I can see every possibility
Somehow I know that it’ll all turn out
You’ll make me work so we can work to work it out
And promise you kid I’ll give so much more than I get
I just haven’t met you yet
They say all’s fair in love and war
But I won’t need to fight it
We’ll get it right and we’ll be united
And I know that we can be so amazin
And bein in your life is gonna change me
And now I can see every single possibility
And someday I know it’ll all turn out
And I’ll work to work it out
Promise you kid I’ll give more than I get
Oh you know it’ll all turn out
And you’ll make me work so we can work to work it out
And promise you kid to give so much more than I get yeah
I just haven’t met you yet
I just haven’t met you yet
Oh promise you kid to give so much more than I get
I said love love love love love love love
I just haven’t met you yet
Donna Summer: MacArthur Park Music Video & Lyrics
Spring was never waiting for us, girl
It ran one step ahead
As we followed in the dance
Between the parted pages and were pressed,
In love’s hot, fevered iron
Like a striped pair of pants
MacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down…
Someone left the cake out in the rain
and I don’t think that I can take it
‘cause it took so long to bake it
and I’ll never have that recipe again
Oh, no! I recall the yellow cotton dress
foaming like a wave
on the ground around your knees
The birds, like tender babies in your hands
and the old men playing checkers by the trees
MacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down…
Someone left the cake out in the rain
and I don’t think that I can take it
’cause it took so long to bake it
and I’ll never have that recipe again
Oh, no! (BRIDGE)
There will be another song for me
For I will sing it
There will be another dream for me
Someone will bring it
I will drink the wine while it is warm
and never let you catch me looking at the sun
And after all the loves of my life
after all the loves of my life
You’ll still be the one.
I will take my life into my hands
and I will use it
I will win the worship in their eyes
and I will lose it
I will have the things that I desire
and my passion flow like rivers through the sky.
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
I’ll be thinking of you
and wondering why. MacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down…
Someone left the cake out in the rain
and I don’t think that I can take it
’cause it took so long to bake it
and I’ll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!
Poem: Time to Stop and Stare
What is this life if full of care
We have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep, or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this, if full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
© William Henry Davies 1871 – 1940
~ Contra Omnia Discrimina
Music Video & Lyrics: Bright Eyes – First Day of My Life
This is the first day of my life
I swear I was born right in the doorway
I went out in the rain suddenly everything changed
They’re spreading blankets on the beachYours is the first face that I saw
I think I was blind before I met you
Now I don’t know where I am
I don’t know where I’ve been
But I know where I want to go
And so I thought I’d let you know
That these things take forever
I especially am slow
But I realize that I need you
And I wondered if I could come homeRemember the time you drove all night
Just to meet me in the morning
And I thought it was strange you said everything changed
You felt as if you’d just woke up
And you said “this is the first day of my life
I’m glad I didn’t die before I met you
But now I don’t care I could go anywhere with you
And I’d probably be happy”
So if you want to be with me
With these things there’s no telling
We just have to wait and see
But I’d rather be working for a paycheck
Than waiting to win the lottery
Besides maybe this time is different
I mean I really think you like me
{Dedicated to Travis}
•••
“Love anything, and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to be sure of keeping your heart intact you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully around with hobbies and little luxuries, avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safely in the casket of your selfishness. And in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will not change, it will not be broken. It will become unbreakable, impenetrable and irredeemable. The only place outside of heaven where you can be perfectly safe from the dangers of love is hell. "
— C.S. Lewis
— C.S. Lewis
~ Contra Omnia Discrimina ~
Music & Lyrics: Dolly Parton – Together You and I – With Dedication to TRDG
My love for you is deeper than the depths of any ocean,
And as faithful as the stars that grace the night,
As constant as the sun making its journey through heavens,
and we’ll always be together you and I.
[Chorus]
Together you and I can stop the rain
and make the sun shine.
Paint a pretty rainbow,
brushed with love across the sky,
Together you and I belong,
like a songbird and a song and we’ll always be together you and I
Life with you is sweeter than the fragrance of the flowers
And as happy as the laughter of a child
As peaceful as a river and as lasting as forever
you know we’ll always be together you and I
[Chorus]
I always be beside or close behind you.
Wherever you go,
you’ll always know I’ll always find you
[Chorus]
We’ll always be together,
you and I Forever together, forever you and I
(forever you and I)
Forever together, together you and I will always be
(together, together)
Together, you and I… ~~~
{Contra Omnia Discrimina}
Dedicated to Travis Toogood for asking me the question of all questions on the 4th July 2011 – Our Independence Day.
Vandeput & Co. 