HEN WE WERE LITTLE, we could not abide being called “stupid” by another sibling. Our normal response as children was to punch (or even kick) that sibling. WILL ROGERS (d. 1935)—the “cowboy philosopher” who became one of the most widely-read American authors of the early 20th century—once quipped: “Everybody’s stupid, just on different subjects.” Now that I have reached maturity, I’m happy to admit my ignorance about an enormous amount of subjects. The fact that I can put my shoes on properly in the morning is (in some ways) a miracle. At the same time, many who constantly brag online about their intellectual prowess are woefully uninformed about their chosen subject matter.1
Not A Matter Of “Dumb” • A major problem today is information overload. We’re also surrounded by a zillion spammers—whose dishonesty has no limits—as well as snake-oil salesmen (who have permeated our society). Therefore, I often encounter readers who don’t know about certain items on our website, even though we have featured them in the past. A common question has to do with the hymns in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal. Specifically, whether they are in English or Latin. I hope this video will clear up matters:
Jeff’s Disability • I have come to believe I might have a disability. My brain often doesn’t seem to make “connections.” For example, for my entire life I’ve known what BURGER KING is. However, I never stopped to think about what they’re trying to say: viz. their restaurant produces the “king of burgers.” When I was little, a browser was called INTERNET EXPLORER. Now that I think about it, they were trying to say that it’s a device which “explores the internet.” I could give a zillion more examples of my disability.
“Daycare” • Something that provides care to children during the day.
“Suburbs” • An outlying district, from the Latin: Urbs, Urbis.
“Nonsense” • Literally, something that doesn’t make sense.
“Dreadnought” • A ship so powerful it fears (“dreads”) nothing (“nought”).
“Minding my own business” • Literally, tending to one’s own business.
“Disability” • Literally, an inability (“in-ability”) to do something.
“Sidewalk” • A place one can walk upon located on the side of the road.
“Airport” • A port for vehicles which fly in the air.
“Rusty” • If you leave something out in the yard, it will become rusty. “My French is rusty” means it’s been left alone for a while.
“Longshot” • The further you move a target back, the harder it is to hit. Therefore, if something is a “longshot” it’s unlikely to happen.
“Hedgehog” • Literally, a hog that likes to live around hedges.
“Keep your eyes peeled” • Quite literally, keep your eyes open.
“Assignment” • That which has been assigned to a student.
“Breadsticks” • Bread that looks like sticks!
“Garage Sale” • Literally, a marketplace selling items outside a garage.
“Fireplace” • The “place” where the fire is.
“Earring” • A ring for the ear.
“Walkie-Talkie” • A device allowing one to walk around and talk at the same time.
“Band-Aid” • Something that gives aid which looks like a band.
“Hide and go seek” • The name of this game describes what happens during it.
My entire life I have known what these words (phrases?) mean and precisely how to use them. Yet somehow I never stopped to think about their origin. I hope that makes sense.
Article Summary • Father Valentine Young (d. 2020) used to talk about “people who would suffer 1,000 deaths rather than say three simple words: I don’t know.” I think we’ve all encountered internet Catholics like that. It’s as if their entire existence is dedicated to showing everyone how much they know. The truth is, admitting one’s ignorance can be a liberating experience. The video above addresses a topic which (perhaps) should be known but often isn’t. For the record, the Brébeuf Hymnal is not the first book to use Latin titles and English songs. Even non-Catholics did this, e.g. George Ratcliffe Woodward (d. 1934) published a famous hymnal like that.
1 As someone involved with the “Traditionalist movement” since the 1990s—on multiple continents—I can affirm something with certainty. When it comes to TLM parishes, I’ve noticed that those who act the most pharisaical and judgmental are almost without exception people whose personal lives are the most disordered. Similarly, when it comes to the “ultra-traditionalist” blog world, I have noticed that those who constantly brag about how smart they are—and who never admit ignorance about anything—are almost without exception people insecure about their own knowledge.
