Denis MacShane appears to have invented a new word: "semigrant". It's someone who spends periods working in another country, but has no intention of staying full-time. It sounds good, and might inject some much-needed common sense into the immigration debate. Essentially, people can't really change the fundamental culture of a place if they're popping back to Krakow every three months.
Partly inspired by that, may I offer my own neologism: "eclecture". It's a talk or similar educational event that covers all manner of ground, looping through apparently disparate areas of art, science, politics and so on via the most tenuous of connections: a bit like when you look something up on Wikipedia, and follow an interesting link, and then another, and an hour later you've completely forgotten why you started.
5 comments:
I do that all the time (the eclecture, not the semigrant)
By the way, I've just noticed the quote under the blog name.
Very impressive.
An eclecture sounds similar to a randosearch.
Well spotted, Billy. I was waiting for someone to notice. I'm thinking of choosing it for my specialised subject on Mastermind: That Bit in Beverly Hills 90210 When The Flaming Lips Play At The Peach Pit.
Surely an eclecture is what you do after your randosearch, Dick?
Love it!
Yes of course. That comment was hasted (hastily posted)
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