OBSOLETE, adj. No longer used by the timid. Said chiefly of words. A word which some lexicographer has marked obsolete is ever thereafter an object of dread and loathing to the fool writer . . .
Interpretation
Obsolescence can often be a reflection of fear in language and expression.
Ambrose Bierce's definition of 'obsolete' highlights the reluctance of some writers to use words that have been deemed outdated. This reflects a broader fear of being perceived as uninformed or old-fashioned, emphasizing that language is dynamic and that certain terms, while labeled obsolete, still hold value in the hands of the bold and creative.
In practice
During a writing workshop, a speaker might quote this to encourage participants to embrace their unique voice.
PALM, n. A species of tree . . . of which the familiar "itching palm" ("Palma hominis") is most widely distributed . . . . This noble vegetable exudes a kind of invisible gum, which may be detected by applying to the bark a piece of gold or silver.
Human nature is pretty well balanced; for every lacking virtue there is a rough substitute that will serve at a pinch--as cunning is the wisdom of the unwise, and ferocity the courage of the coward.
Indigestion: A disease which the patient and his friends frequently mistake for deep religious conviction and concern for the salvation of mankind. As the simple Red Man of the Western Wild put it, with, it must be confessed, a certain force: 'Plenty well, no pray; big belly ache, heap God.'
Disobey n:To celebrate with an appropriate ceremony the maturity of a command
NOUMENON, n. That which exists, as distinguished from that which merely seems to exist, the latter being a phenomenon. The noumenon is a bit difficult to locate; it can be apprehended only by a process of reasoning - which is a phenomenon.
PARDON, v. To remit a penalty and restore to the life of crime. To add to the lure of crime the temptation of ingratitude.
For a person whose sole burning ambition is to write - like myself - college is useless beyond the Sophomore year.
Let us have "sweet girl graduates" by all means. They will be none the less sweet for a little wisdom; and the "golden hair" will not curl less gracefully outside the head by reason of there being brains within.
There is no profession which cannot be practiced by a woman.
True teaching liberates the student from his teacher.
A capacity and taste for reading gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others.
We are told there is not enough money for education, but somehow there is enough money for people to raise billions of dollars to defeat somebody in an election? Oh! Okay! Does that make sense?
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.