Apostrophe S

My Monday turned out to be decent. After the L&O marathon, Rachel was home from work and we decided, after a search for sustainance turned up nothing, that we needed to go to the grocery store. So we did. Now there is food a plenty in the house; I even had oatmeal for breakfast today. We also rented “The Cooler” to watch. It’s a great film, I highly recommend it. But that was not the truly amazing thing I discovered last night. This following part is kind of an inside joke with my family, but I think anyone can appreciate and learn from it.

While at the grocery store in the deli section, I noticed there was a small boat set on boxes and filled with ice being used as a display. I didn’t think much of it at first, but then I noticed the name on the side of the boat. It was a Snark! A Snark boat! This demanded further research, so further research is what I did. A quick internet search revealed that Snark is a brand of boats, most well known for their small sailboats, such as the one below.

I was amazed. A word I had believed for so long to be fabricated by my mother turned out to be an actual word. It was beyond belief. The story doesn’t end here, though. A followup investigation produced another source of the word. Lewis Carroll, author of “Alice in Wonderland,” wrote another story in verse called “The Hunting of the Snark.” An online text of the version can be found here. Even more amazing. The snark is apparently a creature belonging to the same imaginary universe as the Jaberwocky, for those who know what that is. Mom, you should check at the library and read up on the snark, so the next time one attacks, you’ll be prepared.

Originally I suspected the word to be an accidental creation of my mother’s fractured syntax, but it turns out I was wrong. Unfortunately it was still used in the wrong context, ma.

Next weekend I’m planning another outing into the big apple, and I’m trying to develop a plan. What of the Big Attractions in NYC should I put on the list? (This is a one-day trip, so keep that in mind.)

Keep me posted. Take care…

ON AIR: Ted Leo - The Angels’ Share.