The magical use of words...

I was trying to use a maxim on victory and defeat, and just couldn't find one that encapsulated what I wanted to express. So, went to Google, and got these....

Be gracious in defeat and magnanimous in victory

Be gracious in defeat and generous in victory

Strive to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat ~ Boots Williams

In war, resolution; in defeat, defiance; in victory, magnanimity ~ Winston Churchill

.....to be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory ~ Douglas MacArthur

Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory ~ Arthur Ashe

Talking about words that entice...

and the search for a word that would express all that you want to say...

Check this out:

I doubt you work in a kerfuffle-free milieu, and hornswoggling may occur betimes

Kerfuffle - a disturbance

Hornswoggling - a hoax, or to hoax

Wonderfully powerful...

thought-provoking words...

From Bertrand Russell:

In a mechanistic civilization, there is grave danger of a crude utilitarianism, which sacrifices the whole aesthetic side of life to what is called 'efficiency.'

and I particularly vibed with this--

'intellectual culture without emotional atrophy'

I think the words conjure up the images so well...

From...

Barack Obama's 'Dreams from My Father...

Words that conjure up a personality:
'I was intrigued by old Frank.................................with................. the hint of hard-earned knowledge behind the hooded eyes.'

And,

'Pop culture was color-coded........an arcade of images...'

This...

from Hindustan Times:

The store will showcase "ready to wear and practical" fashion clothing lines across women's wear, accessories with about 100 new contemporary, traditional and bridal, Indo-western wear, completely hand-woven inspired by ancient Indian heritage like kanjeevarams instilled with classic kalamkaris and zardozi.

Broke my head and stretched the deadline for each item, and made it to:

The store will showcase a "ready to wear and practical" fashion clothing line across women's wear, accessories, and about 100 new designs in contemporary, traditional, bridal, and Indo-western wear. The fabrics used are hand-woven and inspired by ancient Indian designs, such as Kanjeevarams with classic kalamkari and zardozi work.

I still can't make out if this makes sense...

A convoluted sentence...

if ever there was one.

I came across this in the Times of India when editing for my nl. (The TOI has been, of late, coming up with statements that I have to pore over just to get to the kernel).


A new American Cancer Society study has revealed that people who drank more than four cups of caffeinated coffee per day were at about half the risk of death of these often fatal cancers compared to those who only occasionally or who never drank coffee.

On reading and re-re-re-reading the article as it appeared in the paper, this is finally what I got:

A new American Cancer Society study has revealed that people who drank more than four cups of caffeinated coffee per day were at about half the risk of death due to oral cancer as compared to those who only occasionally, or never drank coffee.

Just reading these words made me cry...

From The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Through the eyes of Enzo the dog...

(After years of suffering on account of something very wrong being pinned on him, Denny is acquitted, and the charges which had been unfairly levied against him were dropped.)

Denny couldn't breathe, he was so overwhelmed when he heard the verdict.

Enzo says-------he (Denny) may have been able to hold it off, but when his friend Mike 'wrapped him in a hug,' 'Denny unleashed the years of tears that had been dammed behind mud and determination and the ability to always find another finger to stick in the leaking dike. He cried so hard.'