Definition: Either: 1) Concerned with stones; or 2) Of style, etc; Engraved on stone, esp. monumental stones.
Other: One thing Wallace does which is kind of neat and replicates actual human communication quite well is to have speakers misuse words. It seems that the Director of Composition is here misusing lapidary, or at least employing it in an idiosyncratic fashion. Etymology derives from lapis lazuli, which is a pretty neat looking stone, if you’re into that sort of thing.
SNOOT score: 3
Page: 7
Source: Oxford English Dictionary
You almost can't mention lupis lazuli without thinking of A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again...
ReplyDeleteGreat call!
ReplyDeleteA Supposedly Fun Thing is, like Consider the Lobster, one of those books I've made the mistake of lending out to someone I didn't yet know too well, and is, I assume, now irretrievably lost. Fortunately, I was able to find a PDF of the essay.
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=a%20supposedly%20fun%20thing%20pdf&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.harpers.org%2Fmedia%2Fpdf%2Fdfw%2FHarpersMagazine-1996-01-0007859.pdf&ei=zgUGT_28IKPe0QGT0eGWAg&usg=AFQjCNHqKsiV1Q8BPYH7-4C0jMOnorspww&cad=rja