Logophiles, help!
Joe Allonby
joeallonby at gmail.com
Mon Jan 9 15:23:47 CST 2006
Looks like a typo for "settled". Simplest, obvious answer.
On 1/2/06, David Casseres <david.casseres at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Perusing my OED, I found that suttle is indeed an old spelling for
> subtle. But the verb to suttle means to carry out the trade of a
> sutler. A sutler is a small vendor, such as someone who sells from a
> stall or cart in the street.
>
> So the "suttled night-time of the town" would seem to have many, many
> possible layered connotations, as the very night-time is being
> retailed piecemeal. A striking sentence!
>
> I had less luck with ceporous. The closest word I found was cepous,
> meaning onion-like or bulbous.
>
> On 1/2/06, Paul Mackin <paul.mackin at verizon.net> wrote:
> >
> > On Jan 2, 2006, at 2:31 AM, Ya Sam wrote:
> >
> > > While reading Andrew Miller's historical novel 'Casanova' I
> > > stumbled upon two words whose meaning I could not find in any
> > > dictionary available to me. Googling proved to be useless too. I am
> > > sure they are not typos, although it's quite possible Andrew Miller
> > > simply made them up. If anyone on the list has any clues, please
> > > help to decipher the following words:
> > >
> > > 1. to suttle
> > >
> > > From the other side of the street he heard the sound of a window
> > > being slid open on its sashes and then a man's voice calling
> > > clearly - though for Casanova, incomprehensibly - a single short
> > > refrain that rang out in the SUTTLED night-time of the town like
> > > coins falling on to paving stones (42).
> >
> >
> > From context it sounds like the town is very subtly lighted, quiet,
> > shutdown for the night. Sidewalks taken in as it were.
> >
> > I think (pretty sure) I've seen suttle used in place of subtle.
> > Can't find it in the dictionary however..
> >
> >
> > >
> > > 2. ceporous
> > >
> > > The sheets had not been aired. They were somewhat damp and CEPOROUS
> > > (102).
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
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> > >
> >
> >
>
>
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