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A sipid story of requited love

The title sounds strange doesn’t it? Ever thought about those negative words and expressions which just don't seem to have a positive or if they do are rarely used? Ever read a novel about requited love, furled your umbrella or recommended a wine because you thought it was sipid? Is the loser in a boxing match referred to as vincible? When you have dismantled an engine can you then remantle it? If you can be gormless why can't you be gormful, or at least possess gorms?
I came across this article recently and was amazed how difficult it was to read let alone assimilate. Yet had the words and phrases been in their usual negative form it would have been simplicity itself!! Hope it amuses you as much as it did me. 
 
How I Met my Wife by Jack Winter 
It had been a rough day, so when I walked into the party I was very chalant, despite my efforts to appear gruntled and consolate. 
I was furling my wieldy umbrella for the coat check when I saw her standing alone in a corner. She was a descript person, a woman in a state of total array. Her hair was kempt, her clothing shevelled, and she moved in a gainly way. I wanted desperately to meet her, but I knew I'd have to make bones about it since I was travelling cognito. Beknownst to me, the hostess, whom I could see both hide and hair of, was very proper, so it would be skin off my nose if anything bad happened And even though I had only swerving loyalty to her, my manners couldn't be peccable. Only toward and heard-of behavior would do. 
Fortunately, the embarrassment that my maculate appearance might cause was evitable. There were two ways about it, but the chances that someone as flappable as I would be ept enough to become persona grata or a sung hero were slim. I was, after all, something to sneeze at, someone you could easily hold a candle to, someone who usually aroused bridled passion. So I decided not to risk it. But then, all at once, for some apparent reason, she looked in my direction and smiled in a way that I could make heads and tails of. 
I was plussed. It was concerting to see that she was communicado, and it nerved me that she was interested in a pareil like me, sight seen. Normally, I had a domitable spirit, but, being corrigible, I felt capacitated -- as if this were something I was great shakes at -- and forgot that I had succeeded in situations like this only a told number of times. So, after a terminable delay, I acted with mitigated gall and made my way through the ruly crowd with strong givings.
Nevertheless, since this was all new hat to me and I had no time to prepare a promptu speech, I was petuous. Wanting to make only called-for remarks, I started talking about the hors d'oeuvres, trying to abuse her of the notion that I was sipid, and perhaps even bunk a few myths about myself. She responded well, and I was mayed that she considered me a savoury character who was up to some good. She told me who she was. "What a perfect nomer," I said, advertently. The conversation became more and more choate, and we spoke at length to much avail. But I was defatigable, so I had to leave at a godly hour. I asked if she wanted to come with me. To my delight, she was committal. We left the party together and have been together ever since. I have given her my love, and she has requited it. 
 
[First appeared in The New Yorker on 25 July 1994 ]
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      • May 2017 Antonia Clare
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      • April 2013 Paul Dummett
      • July 2013
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    • 2012 >
      • April 2012 Philip Kerr
      • July 2012
      • November 2012
    • 2011 >
      • May 2011 Andrew Walkley
      • July 2011
      • November 2011 John Hughes
    • 2010 >
      • July 2010
      • November 2010 John Hughes
    • 2009 >
      • April 2009
      • July 2009
      • November 2009 Finn Kirkland
    • 2008 >
      • April 2008 Tim Herdon
      • June 2008
      • December 2008 Jon Hird
    • 2007 >
      • March 2007 Paul Seligson
      • June 2007
      • December 2007 Lindsay Clandfield
    • 2005/6 >
      • March 2006 Hugh Dellar
      • June 2006
      • July 2005 Evan Frendo
  • Contact us
  • Useful Links
    • Useful links for students
    • Useful links for teachers
  • newsletter archive
  • Jobs
  • Statute
  • Fun stuff
    • Grammar goes into a bar ...
    • Food for thought!
    • Sermon on the What!
    • A sipid story of requited love
    • Funny anagrams
  • Articles
    • Why can't I say it ... by Alan Marsh
    • English in the New World by David Crystal
    • What is CLIL by Larissa Jonk
    • Are Teachers Therapists? by Joe Busuttil
    • Read aloud or read to oneself? by Joe Busutill
    • Teaching in 'Bella Italia' by Matt Done
    • English Lessons Online by Becky Portelli
    • The Halo Effect by Nick Michelioudakis
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • New Page