Posts

Showing posts from August, 2021

Interesting words, issue eleven

Despite not posting as frequently as I initially intended, this issue of interesting words is a pretty substantial one so I think it makes up a bit for any reduced frequency. asceticism : abstaining from (all) indulgences/"worldly pleasures" as a demonstration of self-discipline, particularly for religious reasons. Giving something up for Lent is a small form of asceticism. [The etymology of Lent is that it comes from a word meaning springtime because it occurs in the spring prior to Easter]   anarchaeology : "the clandestine visitation of archaeological sites, a branch of urban exploration alongside draining or roof-topping.... Anarchaeologists don't damage or loot sites ― we just want a closer look before redevelopment destroy them."   The etymology of this sense of the word seems to come from this article . They did some anarchaeology by non-destructively breaking into the vacant shopping mall to observe, photograph and admire the architecture. (word sour

Interesting words, issue ten

More words into the void.  Nekonomics ( ネコノミクス ; nekonomikusu) : a Japanese term describing the positive economic impact of cats . Cat cafes, cat islands, cat mascots, etc. The cat cafe runs on the principle of nekonomics. Nekonomics was at play when he chose to patronize the liquor store that has a cat.  vestigial building : a neologism that I came up with. It is a more elegant term to describe vacant buildings, which still exist but are no longer used/occupied. The vestigial building was architecturally significant, though threatened with demolition and redevelopment. Ideally, vestigial buildings of architectural significance could be renovated or restored and adaptively reused . Vestigial buildings lined the main street of the ghost town. Economic decay in the area caused the number of vestigial buildings to increase as businesses closed. [example of a vestigial building I saw recently] Although it appeared to be a vestigial building, it was actually just the kenopsia of seeing an