Hwæt! *

[cosmolinguist]

My Old English class is finally getting around to Beowulf.

Today Janet told us about Friedrich Klaeber, a German (duh) guy whose 1922 edition of the poem is still the definitive one that everybody reads. He came to the States as soon as he was out of school himself and started teaching--at the University of Minnesota, no less. There's a building there named after him now, Klaeber Court. Janet told us she gets excited when she drives by it. And she showed us this picture she had of him, in which he looks very severe and German, and said it used to be hanging over her desk so he was staring down at her.

(Jeez; I'm listening to my college's radio station and the two DJs just mentioned a professor mentioning Wilford Brimley, and the only thing they knew about him was "he's in those commercials for Liberty Medical or something." Kids these days.)

---

* "Hwæt" is how a lot of Old English poems, including Beowulf, begin. I like it; it's like saying "Hey! Pay attention! I'm gonna say something!" That's what you should think about this journal.

Comments

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Miss you.

That is all.

[paninogirl.livejournal.com]

Awww...

I'm seeing her tomorrow. Do you want me to give her a message or form of physical affection/appreciation of her existance?

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Nah. She's getting the piss taken out of her enough for our friendship for some reason... evil_grapefruit has decided we're dating... passing on physical affection would only make it worse

[paninogirl.livejournal.com]

evil_grapefruit is just jealous that Holly's associating with someone from another country, I'm sure. :) Personally, I think it's fun to make new friends...

...and if she really were bothered that her friends were giving her crap, she'd tell them off. So perhaps she likes the attention on both ends. :)

I wouldn't worry about it. :)

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't worry about it. The idea that I am so hugely attractive that after a few IM conversations someone would wish to start dating me is not one I choose to discourage. I doubt there's a man in the world who would *worry* about the idea that his sexual magnetism could exert attractive forces over intercontinental areas. Holly has more reason to worry on that score because while the idea is highly complimentary to me, the aspersions cast on her taste by the suggestion are unforgiveable ;)

[paninogirl.livejournal.com]

Ah, so the interest in dating is on both ends? :)

They're just jealous that Holly has suitors all over the world, and their sexiness is limited to one country. :)

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Er... the only time the idea of dating has come up between us *at all*, on *either* end, has been when discussing figments of Jenn's diseased imagination... Jenn's been doing the 'assuming male friend = boyfriend' thing that Holly talked about the other day. I was merely pointing out that it is in Holly's interests to discourage this assumption, as it makes her look like she has appaling taste in men, while it is in my interest to encourage the assumption, because it makes me look like someone who can be irresistibly attractive over distances of thousands of miles. But that doesn't make the assumption true - I'm sure one of us would have noticed by now if we were dating. I'm fairly dense, but I usually notice things like that...

[paninogirl.livejournal.com]

Diseased imagination...hehehe...

You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. People are rarely as bad as they portray themselves to be, because those who truly are crappy deny they aren't.

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but in my case it's a double bluff. I really am that crappy, but by saying it very loudly and publicly, it makes people assume I'm not...

[paninogirl.livejournal.com]

:(

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Well, at least I'm honest ;)

[cosmolinguist]

::sighs:: Didn't I tell you to stop this?

:-)

No, really.

I'm sure one of us would have noticed by now if we were dating. That made me laugh.

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Ah, but you told me to stop it *after* I'd said that... the wonders of non-real-time communication...

And if it made you laugh, then it was worth saying :)

[evil-grapefruit.livejournal.com]

For one I do not assume male friend = boyfriend, male friend to me implys something much more dirty and includes whips and such. Secondly I think you are amazing so get over it and Thirdly diseased imagination... I like to think of it as slightly overworked... And forthly, take it from someone with experience, you can be dating with being informed... that is what your friends are for.

Loves,
Jenn

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

I think Holly would almost certainly object to whips and such, even if she *doesn't* object to hugs...

I know I'm amazing, but I have to claim otherwise, or people assume I'm arrogant (rather than assuming I'm the most wonderful human being in the world ever, which is of course the truth), so being as wonderful as I am I am naturally humble and modest.

Your imagination *is* diseased. Do not doubt that...

And I really am *certain* that *one* of us would have noticed if we were dating, you know...

[cosmolinguist]

So, given the choice between Jenn thinking you're my boyfriend and Jenn thinking you're my male friend, being my boyfriend is apparently better, as it does not involve whips and such. I think that's what you're saying. ;-)

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Or *is* it better? ;)

[evil-grapefruit.livejournal.com]

You never know about that Holly she could be a really kinky person in the bedroom you may never know!

You are amazing!

I am logical, everyone else is just illogical!

And, You can never be certian about these things!

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but we're not *in* her bedroom, and the chances of me ever being there are remote to say the least... and while I can see her not objecting to a hug when we meet, I think if I brought out whips, she *might* just complain...

[evil-grapefruit.livejournal.com]

I bring out whips all the time, she never complains, that sexy voice of yours would just be a plus!

Jenn

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

You're confusing me with someone who has a sexy voice there, I think...

[evil-grapefruit.livejournal.com]

I only know one mickey mouse impersonator... well maybe more than one but only one british one!

[cosmolinguist]

She confused me there, but the part about the sexy voice is true. :-)

[cosmolinguist]

You make no sense.

[evil-grapefruit.livejournal.com]

I make a ton of cents... if only I could get some dollars!

Jenn

[cosmolinguist]

Very true. You know me too well. :-)

[paninogirl.livejournal.com]

Is there such a thing as knowing someone too well? :)

[cosmolinguist]

I am not afraid of being hugged, by Rachel or you or anybody else. :-) Jenn will tease me, as I said, whether she has reason to or not, so I may as well get some hugs or something good to make it worth it. :-)

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Well, I wouldn't think a hug from me counts as 'something good', but who am I to refuse if you think otherwise?

=multiple hugs=

[cosmolinguist]

Miss you too.

[kratkrat.livejournal.com]

Let's play a game of "spot the dumb guy"!!

(Hint: it's me.)

How does one pronounce that word?

[cosmolinguist]

::blinks:: What word?

::looks at entry blankly:: Oh! "Hwæt"? Sorry, my brain is as slow as my Internet connection this morning (and that's pretty slow! I'm used to the one at school, though...)

As with all Old English words, you have to say all the letters. The æ sounds like the a in mat.