Perspicacity Jones

Words are funny things. A few years ago I came across the word “perspicacious.” I don’t think it had crossed my path before, so I just passed it in context and kept reading. And then  it showed up at least twice again over the course of the same book, so I gave in and looked it up.

Perspicacious: having keen mental perception and understanding.

Charming word. Fun to say. And today, for no apparent conscious reason, it popped back into my head again, and I couldn’t for the life of me remember what it meant. But my mind started playing games with it, tossing it around like a slinky, pulling it apart, squeezing it back together again, and all of a sudden it decided that the planet has been missing a very important literary figure named Perspicacity Jones. And when I looked up the word again, I was even more convinced.

Perspicacity Jones: gutsy, witty adventuress, possibly Australian, a sort of mesh of the best parts of Pippi Longstocking, Harriet the Spy, Indiana Jones and Sherlock Holmes (and just as much fun to say as Benedict Cumberbatch). I suppose she would have some sort of achilles heel—all heroes do…

But I have no idea what it is. Because she doesn’t exist yet. But she could. Maybe someday she will. Regardless, I’m sure I will never have to look that word up ever again.

__________
Afterthought:
As the brain slinky was roaming around, it remembered seeing a similar name somewhere, and, sure enough, courtesy of Terry Pratchett, there is actually a Miss Perspicacia Tick, witch finder and teacher of Tiffany Aching in Pratchett’s “Wee Free Men” books. Miss Tick is a witch finder in a good way, though, helpful to young girls born to be witches in areas where it’s unfavorable to be a witch, and is also an excellent practitioner of escape techniques when found out to be a witch herself. These are hilariously funny, wonderful, and rather wry books about young Tiffany’s road to becoming an extremely practical community witch, aided by a group of completely recalcitrant little blue men who will drink anything, fight anyone, and say a lot of things not repeatable in proper society. Can’t say enough great things about this series. Of course, people over the age of 18 probably shouldn’t be allowed to read these books.

Poor Joel Stein. He misses so much.

A Rose By Any Other Name…

There could be a lot of preamble here about how naming things and/or people is not only important, but fun. But for now, the name I’m having the most fun with?

Benedict Cumberbatch.

What a fantastic, delightful name. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, two friends of mine suggested I look into the BBC’s reworking of Sherlock Holmes, simply called Sherlock. It took me awhile to get to it (the first series aired in 2010) but right they were. Quick, neat, charming, devious. Fun. And playing Sherlock? That would be Benedict Cumberbatch.

The BBC has modernized it (ie: Sherlock’s stories are told on Watson’s blog), but it’s still witty and webby surrounding the science of deduction. Watson (Martin Freeman) is a great foil for Sherlock, and their relationship, which begins uncertainly, quickly transforms into something quirky and delightful.

As usual for British television shows, the seasons are short–the first two seasons are out and each has only three episodes. (Netflix has Season One on their Instant Queue.)

Patience is a virtue, I’m sure. But waiting for more Sherlock is not really where I want to work on developing it. Especially after meeting Moriarty.

 

It’s Labor Day… So I Made Something

It’s been a good long weekend, but sometimes going back to your regularly-scheduled-life after a three-day weekend can be a little overwhelming. So, in support of something very important, I made a little reminder for myself, knowing that every day it’s always up to me whether or not to put a check mark in that box.

I do believe I will paste this up on the bathroom mirror, right next to my toothbrush.