(tangent) Does anyone know why, or how, or when, the word "amateur" got saddled with such negative connotations? Because it comes from the Latin root "amat", meaning love. So an amateur is someone who does something for the sheer love of what it is they're doing. I can't for the life of me figure out when that became a negative. (/tangent)

For me, it's only a negative when it is used as the opposite of professional, and professionalism implies a certain level a accomplishment. An amateur birdwatcher or lathe-turner or sax player in a jazz combo would all be cool things to be and imply that level of passion for the work you were talking baout.

Well, since my joke was aimed at Susan being an amateur where her husband is concerned, the 'for love' definition makes it punnier.

Pretty is as pretty does

Blonde curls. Rosy cheeks. Eyes like wet forget-me-nots.

Beauty is reflected a thousand times in tiny, multi-faceted eyes. A small smile--cupid's bow lips drawing back to reveal perfect, pearly teeth as she peals the iridescent wings off another victim.

Ooooh, Cashmere, creepy.

Have husband buy copy of magazine on way home from work.

Heh. I'd do that, but:

1. I have to go buy a new toner cartridge anyway.

2. This is one of those cases where there are several magazines with very similar titles--X Digest, X Companion, X Monthly, The X, etc. I love DH. DH is very smart. But unless I nag him to the point of annoyance about making sure he knows the exact right title, there's a chance he brings home the wrong magazine. I won't.

Annabel foiled my plans for rushing madly out of the house by falling asleep the instant I set her in her playpen to get ready. Instead I just called the choir director to warn him I'll be late for practice, and I'll go once DH is home. Much saner.

ION, I've added "getting this copy editor" to my list of "things that could go horribly wrong after selling a book": [link]

One of my teachers in middle school had a rule that every paper had to have at least some certain number of adjectives per page. He pretty much told us, "Yeah, no one's going to be counting adjectives once you get beyond this course, but it'll force you to look at how you can be more descriptive."

Heh. Cindy, no, that wasn't at you - I had actually been talking about the whole "but amateurs do it for love" thing in email, on an entirely different subject, earlier, so it was fresh in my memory curcuits. Robin, yep, I'm with you, but have you noticed how the whole idea of "no one's paying you for it yet so you must suck!" has crept into common intonation when the word is used in speech?

Cashmere, dayum. Yummy-creepy-cool.

He pretty much told us, "Yeah, no one's going to be counting adjectives once you get beyond this course, but it'll force you to look at how you can be more descriptive."

I actually like the idea of using the single adjective as a freight car: let it carry the load of infinite possibilities.

I mean, I may talk the hind leg off a spitting llama in meatspace, but in writing, I'm far more likely to say "the night sky was abalone and ink" than I am to say "the night sky, shivering under a load of stars like tiny golden irridiscent pearls, fell upon her bowed shoulders like mantle of purest indigo velvet", or whatever.