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Fowles: at where

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Marius Hancu

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Aug 9, 2012, 8:25:00 AM8/9/12
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Hello:

---
A picturesque congeries of some dozen or so houses and a small
boatyard—in which, arklike on its stocks, sat the thorax of a lugger —
huddled at where the Cobb runs back to land.

John Fowles
The French Lieutenant’s Woman
---

"at where": is "at" necessary here?

--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

Harrison Hill

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Aug 9, 2012, 11:01:12 AM8/9/12
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"Congeries" sent me to my dictionary. "At where" adds a bit more
richness than merely "where".

Django Cat

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Aug 9, 2012, 2:14:55 PM8/9/12
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Like HH, I'm pretty sure 'congeries' isn't. Don't get me wrong, I
really like Fowles, and read everything he'd written - when I was about
17. I just think he's a bit of a smartarse, and a writer who uses
vocabulary *designed* to send educated readers to the dictionary.

Am I right in remembering that you read the Magus a few years back?

DC

--

Marius Hancu

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Aug 10, 2012, 6:19:32 AM8/10/12
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On Aug 9, 2:14 pm, "Django Cat" <notar...@address.com> wrote:

> > ---
> > A picturesque congeries  of some dozen or so houses and a small
> > boatyard—in which, arklike on its stocks, sat the thorax of a lugger —
> > huddled at where the Cobb runs back to land.

>
> > "at where": is "at" necessary here?
>
> Like HH, I'm pretty sure 'congeries' isn't. Don't get me wrong, I
> really like Fowles, and read everything he'd written - when I was about
> 17. I just think he's a bit of a smartarse, and a writer who uses
> vocabulary *designed* to send educated readers to the dictionary.
>
> Am I right in remembering that you read the Magus a few years back?

Right, and The Collector:-)

Marius Hancu

Marius Hancu

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Aug 10, 2012, 6:20:13 AM8/10/12
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On Aug 9, 11:01 am, Harrison Hill <harrisonhill2...@gmail.com> wrote:

> > ---
> > A picturesque congeries  of some dozen or so houses and a small
> > boatyard—in which, arklike on its stocks, sat the thorax of a lugger —
> > huddled at where the Cobb runs back to land.
>

> > "at where": is "at" necessary here?

>
> "Congeries" sent me to my dictionary. "At where" adds a bit more
> richness than merely "where".

Thanks for the note.
Marius Hancu

Django Cat

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Aug 10, 2012, 11:25:27 AM8/10/12
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Marius Hancu wrote:

> Hello:
>
> ---
> A picturesque congeries of some dozen or so houses and a small
> boatyard�in which, arklike on its stocks, sat the thorax of a lugger �

Funny one this, reading it again. I sometimes wonder why people dislike
mixed metaphors so much, but this is a prime example why; either this
boat looks like Noah's Ark, or it's like a giant insect with the hull
the thorax and the stocks its legs. I can't visualise both ideas
simultaneously.

DC

--

John Holmes

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Aug 10, 2012, 5:16:26 AM8/10/12
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It is "huddled at" rather than "at where". They were "huddled at (the place)
where the Cobb runs back to land".

--
Regards
John
for mail: my initials plus a u e
at tpg dot com dot au

Whiskers

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Aug 13, 2012, 10:16:16 AM8/13/12
to
On 2012-08-10, John Holmes <s...@sig.instead> wrote:
> Marius Hancu wrote:
>> Hello:
>>
>> ---
>> A picturesque congeries of some dozen or so houses and a small
>> boatyard—in which, arklike on its stocks, sat the thorax of a lugger —
>> huddled at where the Cobb runs back to land.
>>
>> John Fowles
>> The French Lieutenant’s Woman
>> ---
>>
>> "at where": is "at" necessary here?
>
> It is "huddled at" rather than "at where". They were "huddled at (the place)
> where the Cobb runs back to land".

Yes, but I think the "at" is superfluous anyway.

The town is rather bigger now than it was at the time of the story, but
"huddle" is still an appropriate word
<http://hopeeternal.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/cobb-lyme-regis-aerial-view.jpg?w=500>

--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~
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