crapulent

[medh...@gmail.com]

In "The Sympathizer", the author uses the word crapulent quite often to refer to a character, "the crapulent major".
When I looked up the meaning I saw these entries
relating to the drinking of alcohol or drunkenness.
given to or resulting from intemperance
suffering from intemperance; drunken

Looking thru google news for examples of usage here is one where I think the word is wrongly used to imply defecation
"Rita’s case her subjectivity is closed off, divorced from her body’s own output; she is, metaphorically, the 19th-century Haussmannization of crapulent Parisian alleyways"
and one where it seems to fit the dictionary definition
"Over the years I’ve had my share of crapulent escapades, especially at functions with buffets (hello cheesy potatoes). "

Here are two examples from the book

"asked the major, a crapulent devotee of the Chinese restaurants in Cholon"
"The first person who came to mind was the crapulent major"

Is he just using crapulent as another word for drunken?

[Peter Duncanson [BrE]]

Possibly.

Definitions from the OED:

crapulent, adj.

Etymology: < Latin crapulentus very much intoxicated, ...

1. Of or pertaining to crapulence; suffering from excessive
drinking, eating, etc.

2. Given to gross intemperance.

crapulence, n.

1. Sickness or indisposition resulting from excess in drinking or
eating.

2. Gross intemperance, esp. in drinking; debauchery.

In your quotation:

"Rita’s case her subjectivity is closed off, divorced from her body’s
own output; she is, metaphorically, the 19th-century Haussmannization
of crapulent Parisian alleyways"

"her body's own output: might be vomit or urine.

"crapulent Parisian alleyways" could be alleyways where drunken people
gather or got to vomit and urinate.

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

[HVS]

On 08 Mar 2017, Peter Duncanson [BrE] wrote

That could be, but I think you're giving too much benefit of doubt to the
author in question.

My guess is that it's more a case that the author thinks "crapulent" is an
adjectival form of "crap" which means "relating to shit", rather than
"relating to drunkeness".

--
Cheers, Harvey
CanEng (30yrs) and BrEng (34yrs), indiscriminately mixed

[Harrison Hill]

"drunkenness" :) ie shitfaced.

"Crapulent" is not worth ever using, because most people think
it means "crappy", and a word can only ever mean what people
think it means.

[HVS]

On 08 Mar 2017, Harrison Hill wrote

> On Wednesday, 8 March 2017 14:14:26 UTC, HVS wrote:
>> On 08 Mar 2017, Peter Duncanson [BrE] wrote

-snip-

>>> In your quotation: "Rita’s case her subjectivity is closed off,
>>> divorced from her body’s own output; she is, metaphorically, the
>>> 19th-century Haussmannization of crapulent Parisian alleyways"
>>>
>>> "her body's own output: might be vomit or urine.
>>>
>>> "crapulent Parisian alleyways" could be alleyways where drunken people
>>> gather or got to vomit and urinate.
>>
>> That could be, but I think you're giving too much benefit of doubt to
>> the author in question.
>>
>> My guess is that it's more a case that the author thinks "crapulent" is
>> an adjectival form of "crap" which means "relating to shit", rather
>> than "relating to drunkeness".
>
> "drunkenness" :) ie shitfaced.
>
> "Crapulent" is not worth ever using, because most people think it means
> "crappy", and a word can only ever mean what people think it means.

Indeed: a good example of a skunked word.

[Mack A. Damia]

There is a tendency to read to much into anything - to confound simple
issues. Think of Occam's Razor and Reductionism.

In the first example: "a crapulent devotee of the Chinese restaurants
in Cholon" obviously refers to the observation that the devotee
overeats (suffering from excessive drinking, eating).

In the second example, "The first person who came to mind was the
crapulent major" probably refers to drunkenness, although there is not
enough information to be precise.

"Crepitate" is another somewhat archaic word that meant "farting" in
the old days.

[Harrison Hill]

There must be people who haven't seen this satire of the
arty-farty 1966 film "Blowup", so here it is again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxRnenQYG7I

[Mack A. Damia]

On Wed, 8 Mar 2017 09:37:29 -0800 (PST), Harrison Hill

"The Crepitation Contest" between the champion of the British Empire,
Lord Windesmere, and the challenger, Paul Boomer, native son of
Australia who, I understand, worked his way to Canada on a freighter
carrying a load of Melbourne cabbage upon which, it is stated, Boomer
trains exclusively.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPplyQWf-u4&t=3s

[Wayne Brown]

When I've seen "crapulent" used it's generally been as a fancier
way of saying "crappy" as in, "He drives a pretty crapulent car."
So I'm glad to learn the dictionary meaning. Once again AUE strikes
a blow for education. :-)

--
F. Wayne Brown <fwb...@bellsouth.net>

ur sag9-ga ur-tur-še3 ba-an-kur9
"A dog that is played with turns into a puppy." (Sumerian proverb)

[Peter Young]

"Crepitation" has a medical meaning, too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crepitation
Most commonly used for the sensation given by air bubbles under the
skin. I must remember the "fart" definition.

Peter.

--
Peter Young, (BrE, RP), Consultant Anaesthetist, 1975-2004.
(US equivalent: Certified Anesthesiologist) (AUE Ir)
Cheltenham and Gloucester, UK. Now happily retired.
http://pnyoung.orpheusweb.co.uk

[Horace LaBadie]

In article <XnsA732AAC4...@178.63.61.145>,

Perhaps people are thinking of craptastic?

[Quinn C]

* Wayne Brown:

> When I've seen "crapulent" used it's generally been as a fancier
> way of saying "crappy" as in, "He drives a pretty crapulent car."
> So I'm glad to learn the dictionary meaning. Once again AUE strikes
> a blow for education. :-)

Yours wasn't a cromulent usage.

--
Everyone gets one personality tic that's then expanded into an
entire character, in the same way that a balloon with a smiley
face will look like a person if at some point you just stop
caring. -- David Berry, NatPost (on the cast of Criminal Minds)

[Peter T. Daniels]

Also the sound from cracking one's knuckles, right?

[Peter Young]

Could be, but I'd never heard that. Now, what about carphology?

[John Ritson]

In article <hlabadie-2A28EA...@aioe.org>, Horace LaBadie
<hlab...@nospam.com> writes

>In article <XnsA732AAC4...@178.63.61.145>,
> HVS <off...@REMOVETHISwhhvs.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> On 08 Mar 2017, Harrison Hill wrote
>> > On Wednesday, 8 March 2017 14:14:26 UTC, HVS wrote:
>> >> On 08 Mar 2017, Peter Duncanson [BrE] wrote
>>
>> -snip-
>>

>> >>> In your quotation: "Rita’s case her subjectivity is closed off,
>> >>> divorced from her body’s own output; she is, metaphorically, the

>> >>> 19th-century Haussmannization of crapulent Parisian alleyways"
>> >>>
>> >>> "her body's own output: might be vomit or urine.
>> >>>
>> >>> "crapulent Parisian alleyways" could be alleyways where drunken people
>> >>> gather or got to vomit and urinate.
>> >>
>> >> That could be, but I think you're giving too much benefit of doubt to
>> >> the author in question.
>> >>
>> >> My guess is that it's more a case that the author thinks "crapulent" is
>> >> an adjectival form of "crap" which means "relating to shit", rather
>> >> than "relating to drunkeness".
>> >
>> > "drunkenness" :) ie shitfaced.
>> >
>> > "Crapulent" is not worth ever using, because most people think it means
>> > "crappy", and a word can only ever mean what people think it means.
>>
>> Indeed: a good example of a skunked word.
>>
>> -- Cheers, Harvey
>> CanEng (30yrs) and BrEng (34yrs), indiscriminately mixed
>
>
>Perhaps people are thinking of craptastic?

Or maybe they should use feculent.


--
John Ritson

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at 5:10:15 PM UTC-5, Peter Young wrote:
> On 8 Mar 2017 "Peter T. Daniels" <gram...@verizon.net> wrote:
>
> > On Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at 1:42:07 PM UTC-5, Peter Young wrote:
> >> On 8 Mar 2017 Mack A. Damia <drstee...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >>> "Crepitate" is another somewhat archaic word that meant "farting" in
> >>> the old days.
> >>
> >> "Crepitation" has a medical meaning, too.
> >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crepitation
> >> Most commonly used for the sensation given by air bubbles under the
> >> skin. I must remember the "fart" definition.
>
> > Also the sound from cracking one's knuckles, right?

Air bubbles under the skin only in the vacuous sense that everything inside
is under the skin, but air bubbles in the bursae in the knuckle joint (and
perfectly harmless, the arthriticists insist).

> Could be, but I'd never heard that. Now, what about carphology?

If it weren't for the h, you might be talking about Japanese cooking.
Or wrist science.