I'm (very slowly) working on a post about my recent editing mania (and related hypocrisy. I am, after all, a poor speller and someone who recently sent out resumes saying that I taught "conversation biology"*). In that post I mock a book that reads "Who in the new blanker? Hint: It's not Gertrude Jekyll anymore."
But then it occurred to me that perhaps I am mistaken. Perhaps it is snobbery on my part that I assume most readers of that book won't know who Gertrude Jekyll is. So I'm gathering evidence. Please note in the comments if you know who Gertrude Jekyll is (or was) and, if not, what you would envision when you read, "it's not Gertrude Jekyll anymore"
Thanks for participating.
*My conversation biology class would be great. Conservation biology class was good, but biological conversations-- I'm really well trained for those.
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10 comments:
No idea, never heard of her. But I'd love to learn some conversation biology -- it sounds like a good part of every young lady's education.
i have heard that name, but don't know who or what gertrude is.
I've heard the name but can't place it...
I too will have to admit my ignorance of Gertrude Jekyll until this time. After "googling" her I find she was rather interesting---and some of her skills could certainly be put to good use around our yard.
father-in-law
I'm refusing to cheat by googling, but I do know that Gertrude Jekyll was a very influential figure in the gardening world. If I recall right, she was the first to do the "white garden" and was very fond of drifts. Even with this knowledge, though, the phrase "it's not Gertrude Jekyll anymore" hardly seems evocative. It's... a more new-fangled sort of gardener? A non-gardening type? I don't know, maybe it just doesn't make sense without its context.
No idea YM&YP
What's a blanker?
PS I never heard of her.
I'm with SalSis: I've not heard about Gertrude and I am flummoxed by the mention of a "blanker".
Jenny and SalSis
All we be revealed. The sentence out of the book was "Who is the new [person who performs a task]?" and replaced that task be BLANK.
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