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Sunday 5 February 2012


Entry:    lividity (adj.)

In context:  “…his posture getting more and more military as rigor mortis sets in, with his bare feet looking like purple loaves of bread, from the lividity…”

Definition:    The quality or condition of being livid; a pale-bluish discoloration.

Other:   I don’t want to spoil anything for you, but someone dies in Infinite Jest. 
I was much more familiar with livid in the sense of anger or fury; did you know that the first reference other than as a colour was in 1912?

1912    Collier's 9 Mar. 21/1   He sprang to his feet, livid. ‘That's a lie,’ and he stopped suddenly, startled by his own violence.

Versus:
1622    Bacon Hist. Raigne Henry VII 9   There followed no Carbuncle, no purple or liuide Spots.

SNOOT score:   3 – You can definitely play this one up for SNOOT points when someone tries to correct your ‘misuse’ of livid!

Page:   59

Source:   Oxford English Dictionary

2 comments:

  1. Wait, someone DIES in Infinite Jest? OH NO. My whole reading experience has been ruined by your HEINOUS SPOILERS. Curses!
    (no seriously though I was laughing quite hard at that.)

    ReplyDelete