Monday, May 26, 2008

This should do it!

Well, John Simpson, this should convince you. In your own online Times, this was printed on May 26th:

Adding to Terry’s personal pain was the thought that he had let everybody down. Still, our reaction tells us more about us than it does him. One side too empathetic – no, he does not deserve the England captaincy just as a pick-me-up for missing a penalty – the other too full of glee. We used to mock the Germans for having a word meaning delight in the misfortune of others, Schadenfreude, when one has existed in English all along: epicaricacy. Heaven knows why it has passed into obscurity, because we seem to have cornered the market in it of late. (Emphasis mine)

It's time, OED, to legitimize this word. Heck, when you do that, this Blog will have to sink to oblivion.

I have whined about "epicaricacy" so much on Wordcraft that I have promised myself I wouldn't post about it there anymore. I can't break my promise, but I sure want to with this quote!

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