November 16, 2003
How To Be A Pretentious Twit, Part CXVII

Whenever I need a laugh, I visit The Rittenhouse Review: it seldom disappoints. Oddly enough, the best jokes are seldom found on TRR: The Lighter Side of Rittenhouse.

In yesterday's second-to-last post, owner-operator James "[Sic]" Capozzola brags about being a professional editor, sneers at Instapundit for writing "tripe", and then says that "others, several others, in fact, including some that surprise me, have wizened up" (about Instapundit's alleged shortcomings). The context shows that he meant "wised up". To "wizen" is to dry up, wither, shrivel, or wrinkle, esp. with age.

The post includes a P.S.: "The final sentence of this post was minutely altered, post-publication, for clarity." Time for a P.P.S.

Posted by Dr. Weevil at November 16, 2003 11:06 PM
Comments

I'm wizening up, but that's to be expected.

Posted by: Michael Tinkler on November 17, 2003 11:22 AM

I'm wizening down, which is even worse.

Posted by: Joanne Jacobs on November 18, 2003 07:00 PM

Perhaps it was Hesiod who wizened. That I might buy. "Wizened Hesiod Theogeny was never wise" might be the first line of a very silly poem.

Posted by: Jack on November 19, 2003 03:45 PM

Well, when they send me hatemail, I sometimes tell people to "dry up," so I guess I'm getting my wish.

Posted by: Glenn Reynolds on November 23, 2003 08:07 PM