Sara Angela Rodriguez
A415-002/Chambers
Fiction Critique 5: Disgruntled Former Lexicographer
13 March 2013
When I first read the title and the author of this piece,
Steve Martin, I assumed that this piece would be a list of different neologisms.
You know examples like the Washington Post’s famous: 1. Coffee (n.), the
person upon whom one coughs. 2. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation
while drunk or
3. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent. If it was not this, I expected it at least to be a
funny piece about a lexicographer that puts his character into the dictionary. I
was very surprised to discover, upon first, second, even third read that even
though there was comedy present in the piece, the piece a whole was very
serious, tragic even. This lexicographer, after being fired from his job of
twenty-two years, feels worthless: he has lost his job, his wife hates him, his
children think he is a loser, and he has not truly lived. The definition entry
begins as a regular entry but slowly, as the author’s mind deteriorates and he
falls into a slump, the entry becomes the story of his downfall and the cry of
despair for a life unlived. I think that this entry was perfectly done and I would
like to one day attempt to write something similar. Though, I believe that it will
be rather hard to live up to the standards that Steve Martin has set. Perhaps I
will attempt to find another word to define which carries some meaning but I feel
like no matter which word I choose none will be able to be defined as perfectly
as ‘Mutton’.
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