Wordnik.com: Gil Blas: Comments

Comment by dontcry, 8 months ago

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:49:44 +0000

*swoons*

Comment by reesetee, 8 months ago

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:07:32 +0000

It's the book paste, my friends. (Well, at least for me.)

Comment by dontcry, 8 months ago

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:38:59 +0000

*sniffs*

Comment by rolig, 8 months ago

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:26:52 +0000

The word is real enough. An osphresiophilia is a strong (perhaps erotic) attraction to certain smells. For Wordizens, the prefix biblio- seems to be in order. While I may sometimes pooh-pooh a word, I would never poo-poo a fellow Wordie.

Comment by nycanthro, 8 months ago

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:21:10 +0000

Hilarious. Is that a real word or are you just poo-pooing me?

If it has a name I can get a doctor's note and take a much-needed vacation to the Library of Congress.

Comment by rolig, 8 months ago

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:52:43 +0000

The diagnosis, I believe, would be chronic bibliosphresiophilia. I'm not sure there's a cure.

Comment by bilby, 8 months ago

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:43:32 +0000

What a bunch of people we are!

I'm beginning to think WordiePRO should include counselling :-(

Comment by nycanthro, 8 months ago

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:16:33 +0000

My parents kept an extensive library when I was growing up. I found the smell of the older, musty, yellowed books to be the most intoxicating.

There's a company called Demeter that makes strange fragrances some might find inspired, while others might place them in the same box as mandles. They have a cologne called paperback that I found uncanny in its ability to evoke such immediate, gleeful nostalgia.

Comment by yarb, 8 months ago

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:09:06 +0000

Yes, I agree. Old books are risky - sometimes they smell rather unpleasant. But you have to just bury your nose in there and take a big whiff, it's no use being tenderfooted about it. I find the thicker the book, the stronger and longer-lasting the aroma. I think I spent almost as much time sniffing my Everyman clothbound Gargantua and Pantagruel as I did reading it.

Comment by lea, 8 months ago

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:45:24 +0000

Yes, I get a different kick out of sniffing old books and when sniffing new books... (I have worked in the public library and I know how dirty books can get. Some people wipe their books with wet cloth before they read them - or give them to the hands of their children. I think it is wise sometimes.)

Comment by dontcry, 8 months ago

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:42:43 +0000

I'm a sniffer.

Comment by yarb, 8 months ago

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:22:46 +0000

I generally have an ebook on the go at work - I read Gil Blad that way - but I prefer paper. I like the smell of a real book. Do you sniff your books? One thing I like about (free) ebooks is that they lower the average publication date of my reading, due to the out-of-copyright requirement.

Comment by lea, 8 months ago

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:27:08 +0000

I don't mind... I like e-books. I have one copy of Blas on my mobile now. Another on the computer. ;o)

Comment by yarb, 8 months ago

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:15:09 +0000

Hurrah! Here's hoping Gil Blas brings you as much pleasure as he brought me! I do think it's shocking that this is currently out of print in English.

Comment by lea, 8 months ago

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:40:34 +0000

Thanks for the inspiration. I had to download the book today, after I saw your quote from it under the word pet earlier. I need something... different than usual to read, I think.

Comment by yarb, about 1 year ago

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:50:19 +0000

Thanks and farewell, my dear Gil Blas!