Words

My vocabulary is not bad, but that doesn't mean I don't have to look words up. And they might even be sort of medium-complex words that some might scoff at me for not knowing. I don't care. I look them up anyway. There's no public admission of my ignorance when I read the word in my living room and feel it's important enough for me to look it up in order to fully understand what the writer is trying to convey. It usually works. Add the new-found definition to my knowledge, and I understand the text more completely.

Take the word "desultory." Had to look it up and learn it has the expected numerous meanings, basically centering on randomness, lack of definite planning, or purpose. It can frequently apply to my wife's shopping when it seems that she and the car return with numerous items that are inedible, but did gain attention by irresistible coupon offerings.

Never mind. We'll get through that inventory of Swifter Dusters in the garage, even if we have to open a housecleaning business on the side.

But after looking up "desultory" I was still in no better position to understand why Paul Vitello, in his NYT's obituary of Orville Slutzky, a founder of the Hunter Mountain NY ski resort, describes its proximity to New York City as being "within a desultory conversation's drive of the city."

Hunter Mountain is close to NYC, as noted that it is 125 miles or so away, well connected by the New York State Thruway. The office crowds I worked with often talked of their basically quick alcohol-fueled trips up to Hunter, and their hungover trips back.

I guess I just didn't hang out with people who would ever describe the trip as a "desultory conversation's drive."

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