Griceful

--- by JLS
---- for the GC

---- FINALLY for today, this last entry in wiki for 'euphuism' which connects with Kramer's ref. to 'preciosite'. Indeed 'precious' features in the first paragraph commenting on euphuism, which also relates to "grace", hence the pun in header.

From the wiki entry:

""Euphues" is Greek and means "graceful, witty". John Lyly published the works Euphues: The Anatomy of Wyt (1578)."

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"Many critics thought that Lyly overused comparisons as well as alliterations; Philip Sidney and Gabriel Harvey castigated his style."

But never improved it!

"Euphuism was, however, taken up by the Elizabethan writers Robert Greene, Thomas Lodge and Barnabe Rich."

What is slightly irritating in the wiki entry is the rather parochial starter:

"Euphuism was fashionable in the 1580s, but never previously or subsequently."

So here's for the New Euphues. Ha.

I recall Burchfield mentioning in "The Making of the OED" that some people misdefined 'euphuism' as 'euphemism' -- versus 'dysphemism' -- NOW _THAT_'s gricean arlight -- via language as weapon and shelter. Why is it that we need them, or don't we?

Lyly seems to have been on the boring side, like this alliterated opera composer. Lyly was mainly concerned with the periodic sentence which seems like something I lack.