Comments on: Old hat, new rabbits http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/06/old-hat-new-rabbits/ How can we live without the unknown before us? —Rene Char Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:48:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dave http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/06/old-hat-new-rabbits/#comment-1174 Dave Wed, 21 Jun 2006 13:02:10 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/06/20/old-hat-new-rabbits/#comment-1174 Thanks, Pete - that's exactly the kind of reaction I was hoping to elicit (at least from those few readers not frightened away by the length of the post). I'm struck by your word "fossick," which my dictionary (Merriam-Webster Collegiate, about 30 years old) characterizes as Australian dialect. The first definition given is to search for gold by picking over the abandoned tailings; thus, by analogy, to search by rummaging through. This is the perfect word for what I do, both in and among books. I can't tell you how many great books I've found, both in used bookstores and in large libraries, by fossicking. Thanks, Pete – that’s exactly the kind of reaction I was hoping to elicit (at least from those few readers not frightened away by the length of the post).

I’m struck by your word “fossick,” which my dictionary (Merriam-Webster Collegiate, about 30 years old) characterizes as Australian dialect. The first definition given is to search for gold by picking over the abandoned tailings; thus, by analogy, to search by rummaging through. This is the perfect word for what I do, both in and among books. I can’t tell you how many great books I’ve found, both in used bookstores and in large libraries, by fossicking.

]]> By: pohanginapete http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/06/old-hat-new-rabbits/#comment-1173 pohanginapete Wed, 21 Jun 2006 07:25:55 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/06/20/old-hat-new-rabbits/#comment-1173 A delightful miscellany, Dave. Moreover, there are many strange (but perhaps not?) coincidences or synchronicities arising from this post. I've suddenly been overwhelmed by an urge to fossick among shelves of books. A delightful miscellany, Dave. Moreover, there are many strange (but perhaps not?) coincidences or synchronicities arising from this post.

I’ve suddenly been overwhelmed by an urge to fossick among shelves of books.

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