DH wants to know if he can use the word rigueur on its own (rather than as part of the expression "de rigueur," and if so what the precise meaning would be. (In context, he needs it to mean something like "discipline.") He's reviewing Dinner For Schmucks and talking about the original French version.

I was at the eye doctor.

You can definitely use it on its own. The most common way I've heard it is à la rigueur, meaning possibly/possibility, or at the very least.

Come to think of it, I've rarely heard the expression as it's used in English.

It often implies a more extreme discipline (harshness or austerity), as in government measures or punishments, but you can say manquer de rigueur for something that lacks discipline or precision. So, in an academic setting, someone's research might "manquer de rigueur."

Also, note to E: I was very disappointed that in this remake there actually is a dinner.

flea, I was just reading an article at the Tribune which said that Chicago will be breaking a record this afternoon with the most consecutive days over 80 degrees. The last day we had with a high only in the 70s was July 1st.

OMG, I'm so glad I was there when I was, then! ...and that I now live where I do. And had to turn on the heat in my car this morning, cause it was freezing. Low of 56. High 78, but since it's noon and telling me its 58, I disbelieve.

It often implies a more extreme discipline (harshness or austerity), as in government measures or punishments, but you can say manquer de rigueur for something that lacks discipline or precision. So, in an academic setting, someone's research might "manquer de rigueur."

Thanks! That's perfect for the context of this sentence. (Basically, that the American remake is kind of all over the place whereas the original was a tightly plotted farce.)

As to your second point, he agrees.

I'm pretty sure I didn't know traffic signs had words on them.

Individual leaves on trees--I knew they were there, of course, I'd seen leaves up close, held detatched ones in my hands. But I had no idea you could (or should) actually see individual ones on a tree across the street. Revelation, age 10!

stuff-oriented

I think this gets worse when young kids lose a parent, lose the family they've known, lose the home they're familiar with. They get clutchy with physical objects under their control, demanding about acquiring more. It's attempting to fill a gap they can't even articulate, sometimes, and almost certainly can't correlate for themselves. A's been dealing with it for five of his ten years, and is only now beginning to get a tiny bit of a handle on it. It may be something he struggles with into and all through his adulthood. But he's at least aware of the causes of it. Maybe talking with M about why he feels the need to amass "stuff" might help.

Individual leaves on trees--I knew they were there, of course, I'd seen leaves up close, held detatched ones in my hands. But I had no idea you could (or should) actually see individual ones on a tree across the street.

Oh, this was my exact revelation! I remember staring at trees all amazed and going oh that's what it's supposed to look like! I was five.

I totally agree with you, Bev. I just don't want him to correlate things with affection. He gets lots and lots and lots of affection, but I can see how he is starting to get the "gotta have it" bug.

I think quite a bit of it is societal, and he does a great job of using his imagination when playing -- he spent a whole bunch of...ooops, they're back! Gotta go get the glasses lowdown!

Finish thought later.

Seriously? I only just heard that he got married. (Orlando Bloom, that is.)

I think that just happened a few weeks ago. Hussy.

I don't remember the first time I wore glasses, but I do still have my first pair (tiny little granny glasses from 1971). I probably should see what the prescription was in them and see how bad my eyes actually were!

I'm just amazed that I was able to teach myself how to read before I got my glasses. Thank goodness for big print in children's picture books.

I got my glasses sophmore year of college. And that's when I realized that Impressionism was more than just a popular art style of the day, but rather how I was living my life.