A.Word.A.Day--biblioclast

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Jan 29, 2020

This week’s theme
Words about books

This week’s words
bibliophilia
chrestomathy
biblioclast

Anthony Comstock, who destroyed 15 tons of books and gave us comstockery

Photo: Wikimedia

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A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

biblioclast

PRONUNCIATION:

(BIB-lee-uh-klast)

MEANING:

noun: One who destroys or mutilates books.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Greek biblio- (book) + -clast (breaker). Earliest documented use: 1880.

USAGE:

“Mr Raving was none too subtle a blend of born-again Christian, mini-arsonist, and my computer studies master. Once during a lesson, I had to retrieve a text-book from my bag necessitating the removal of everything else. Raving went, well, raving when he saw a copy of Eric Von Daniken’s ‘Chariots of the Gods’ appear. He grabbed the book almost before it landed on my desk and, with a zeal that would have made a Nazi biblioclast proud, set it alight and threw it into the bin while crossing himself with a ruler. A week later I was summoned to the office of the school library to explain why I hadn’t returned said book. I said: ‘Because Mr Raving destroyed it, sir.’ Aghast he replied: ‘Another one?!’”
Spike Breakwell; Disabled: Joe Egg’s School Days; The Independent on Sunday (London, UK); Feb 29, 2004.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against its government. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (29 Jan 1927-1989)

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