Objection! In Lord of the Rings, the characters quested, and I think in Journey to the West, they ‘journeyed on foot’. Both expressions implying very long and difficult walks, more than a trek or a hike. I mean, saying Frodo and Sam hiked to Mordor brings to mind some kind of coming-of-age, jolly walk through picturesque mountains and the biggest obstacle being that time when it was pouring rain and they couldn’t get the tent up. Even ‘trek’ doesn’t sound long enough. Although it’s interesting the extent to which context can modify meaning. I’m pretty sure no one, for example, imaged Star Trek taking place on foot. ‘Star’ sets the trek in space and so a space ship becomes necessary.

“If only because a writer needs to be sure that these really are the right words to get across that idea.”

I sometimes wonder if people working in other languages have quite the choice that those of us working in English do. Nearly all our words have a dozen different synonyms that aren’t quite synonyms (illustrated perfectly by your ‘walking’ example, to which I could add promenade, parade, shuffle, wander and scootch just off the top of my head). The British Isle have been invaded and invaded so many different times by so many different people, our language is a wonderful hodge-podge with every hodge overlapping a dozen different podges.

As far as I know, Welsh doesn’t have anything like the linguistic variety English does, and certainly not among native speakers. At lot of native speakers I know will slip into English every few sentences. I wonder how many other languages have the same degree of variety and word choice as English does.

Interesting stuff, though! And you don’t even get into how the same word can mean different things in different contexts or with different groups of people, even though the dictionary definition doesn’t change. Or even in different circumstances. ‘Small’ might mean four foot when talking about a person, or sixty foot when talking about an office block.

I find words incredibly useful as building blocks for thoughts. If I want to organise my thoughts, I need to sit down with a pen and paper and actually write everything out. Until it’s on a piece of paper, it’s just a diffuse thing that can slip away. When it’s written, it’s been defined and so is easier to exam and manipulate. This is why my first drafts tend to be alternately long and rambling and barely sketched out.

And lastly, there’s a very interesting article about linguistic relativity here

Hellhound Snr and the princess haven’t met yet. FInn has been enjoying sniffing my clothes when I come back from Sam’s and we’re going to start exchanging blankets so that they can get used to each other’s scent.

She looks so comfortable in that photo! How’s Hellhound Snr. taking to her?

See, I’m sympathetic to the main thrust of the article–that men’s attitudes towards women are dictated, in a large part, by social and some biological factors. I think it’s true–we are trained to see women as less-than-human, a kind of propety we can own and are entitled to. It’s also true that, no matter what your brain wants, we can’t help who makes us horny and when.

What I think you’re feeling the lack of, and I subconsciously put in myself, is a sense of individual responsibility. I mean sure, all that stuff is true but the ultimate responsibility for our actions lies with us. No one else.

Your point about the article excusing and dismissing men’s desire to dominate women is true and well-made. However, the impression I took away was, ‘now you know what you’re fighting against, you’ve got a better chance of winning’. I guess that’s my privilege. I’m the gender being pandered to, not the one who’s having their dehumanisation excused and justified.

So, thank you for checking my privilege!

Oh, and Star Wars counts

Anyway, agreed on the overlaps. I think it depends in which category one starts. Like with the well-received artists who were Politicians first, or nuns (Soldiers) who became social leaders (Generals) with plenty of “I am but a weak woman” rhetoric are making use of Politician’s skills. As with everything else in life, there are very few absolutes but people find it easier to deal in them.