Starless Frustration.....

[biggerbirdbrain]

Oddly enough, archangel came sooner than charwoman to me, R-M -- perhaps the old religious upbringing helped stir the noggin a bit faster. I still think that it was more a British than American term, thus my protest.

As for the scruffy image, Binks, when I did that work, I think I fit the charwoman image closer than cleaning lady. I was neither clean by the end of the day, nor was my language lady-like once I finally got home with the aches and pains! 

[jaythailand]

Charwoman is not the term that gave me trouble; I got it right away.  I should think that any reasonably literate American would know what a charwoman is, at least if he or she stayed awake when we were reading our Dickens in high school.  It was the other nine-letter word that I struggled to assemble -- archangel.  This is a familiar word, but for some reason the letters just weren't falling into place.

I'm trying not to be insulted.......I consider myself a "reasonably literate American".  I actually read for pleasure!  But I must confess that charwoman is not ringing any bells for me.  However, you have a very good point - I was reading Ken Kesey and JD Salinger in high school and I doubt very much that there were any charwomen galavanting through those pages.....

[technomc]

Hey Binks...

I have just had to read all the posts in this thread again to make any sense of them....

I thought you meant that 'archangel' was particularly British....as i don't do the standard game, i didn't have a clue you meant that 9 letter word.....!!!!

As to charwoman...i wouldn't have used that word...i have a 'charlady' though [i wish!]....i would have said that that was the more common word....

I've got a headache now...

[Binkie]

Oops! I think I set everyone off on a wild goosechase.....because "charwoman" wasn't the 9 letter word, was it? Sorry folks.....just me being muddle-headed (muddleheaded?) again.

[Binkie]

So......have I completely confused you yet??

[technomc]

YET...

YET!!!

YET!!!!?

[biggerbirdbrain]

Okay, so it was the Sunday, not the Monday, puzzle answer, and it wasn't charwoman but charwoman. But my protest STILL stands!

[rogue_mother]

I'm trying not to be insulted

Don't worry, Jay, I didn't mean it as an insult.  I can't honestly say that I remember all those vocaublary words from Dickens.  "Charwoman" got fixed in my mind from other sources as well: from other British novelists such as William Morris, maybe even the comic strip "Andy Capp."  You look to be quite a bit younger than me, so it could be that your English teachers didn't make you read Dickens.

[technomc]

Hi Jay,
I like the image that 'galavanting charwomen' has put in my mind....

If i was going to be one, that is the sort i would like to be.... 

[anonsi]

I had never heard of a charwoman before.  Although I hated Dickens, so I avoided all books by him like the plague. 

Btw, Binks...
You can bring up your info about the plague while talking about some of the paintings from that time period.  We learned a quite a bit about it in my art history classes.

Take, for instance, this painting by Antoine Jean Gros, "Bonaparte Visiting the Pest House in Jaffa".  Napoleon is depicted touching victims of the plague.  The plague was easily spread to others, so this would be seen as a very brave act.  Napoleon's campaign wasn't going very well, so this painting was done as a piece of propaganda to show that if he could "conquer", so to speak, the plague, then he could conquer and win the war as well.

[biggerbirdbrain]

The painting makes Napoleon so nearly saint-like, and though its tones are dark, it almost romanticizes the disease! Interesting treatment. Thanks, Anonsi, for the background. That was cool. You're such a tasteful haglet! 

[Binkie]

Talking of the plague, Anonsi ( who on earth got us on to this subject? ) have you by any chance read a book called "Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks ? It's a fictionalised account of the events in one English village during the plague. I happened to visit the village, called Eyam (pronounced eem) when I was staying in the Peak District 3 years ago. The entire village of about 300 people quarantined themselves from the outside world when plague broke out, in order to stop its spread. Fascinating book, although a little romanticised in parts.

[rogue_mother]

I've never read that book, but one of our cable TV channels has a documentary about that village.  Very interesting!  Some researchers wanted to learn if there was a genetic component to the higher survival rate in this town, and they believe they found it.  These researchers then went on to determine that the same genetic sequence is what keeps some people from contracting HIV/AIDS, or, if they contract it, keeps them from progressing to the fatal stage.

[Binkie]

I didn't know that, R-M. I wish they'd show the documentary here, if only for me to revive some memories. It's a typically beautiful village, even if it is known as "The Plague Village" !

[anonsi]

Hey Binks...No I haven't read that book.

In my art history courses we learned that those with enough money would take trips to the countryside when plague broke out so that they could escape it.  Also, I think Dave got us started on this subject.