Randomness

[alixtii]

I'm suddenly (and randomly) interested in the word interstices. Has anyone heard this word applied to anything other than a text?

The definition from the OED:

1. a. An intervening space (usually, empty); esp. a relatively small or narrow space, between things or the parts of a body (freq. in pl., the minute spaces between the ultimate parts of matter); a narrow opening, chink, or crevice.

b. Physics. The space between adjacent atoms or ions in a crystal lattice. Cf. INTERSTITIAL a. 2e.

2. a. An intervening space of time; an interval between actions. Now rare.

b. spec. in Canon Law (pl.) The intervals required between the reception of the various degrees of holy orders.

Hence intersticed a., having interstices; also, fitted at intervals with something. rare.

Hmm. Technically, none of these definitions even apply to a text.

Happy belated birthdays to ladyvivien (Jan. 14), invisionary (Jan. 12), and michmak/writwritewrote (Jan. 9). So many people sharing my birthday month. I hope you all had a great birthday!


MOUSE - Your daemon may be a mouse. You keep your
self hidden away, not because you are ashamed
of it, but because you are afraid the world may
not understand it, and may hurt it. Isn't it
strange how people can be so cruel to such a
small and helpless creature? You want to keep
that very inner part of your psyche private and
close to you, perhaps in your shirt pocket,
next to your heart.


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Comments

[thelastgoodname.livejournal.com]

Yeah, in physics and (I think?) a couple of other sciences, which given definition 1 makes a lot of sense. I hadn't ever actually connected the social theoretical word with the identical sciences word.

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

I was conversing with wisdomeagle the other day about ambiguity in texts, and I was sitting thiunking about it maybe ten minutes ago, and I realized I had no idea what the word meant. If you had given me "interstice" in a word-association quiz, I would have just spouted back "of the text" at you without thinking. It's a beautiful phrase, so I understand why people use it, but it's always interesting when words which in theory have expansive meanings only get used in certain contexts.

[wisdomeagle]

A couple of days ago I was pondering calling the as-yet-totally-lame new version of my website "various innovations: v. interstices" and so actually looked it up in ye olde big heavy paperspace dictionary and, like you, was all, "Oh, well now - that's not very literary, is it?"

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

I enjoy the metaphor, and was pretty sure it was a metaphor meaning what it actually meant, but it seems odd how the metaphor has become so common that its easy to forget that it is a metaphor, and that texts don't have little nooks and crannies that meaning can hide in. But, again, the image of meaning hiding in the nooks and crannies of a text is such an awesome image that I still love the phrase.

I'm too lazy to look things up in paper dictionaries. Not when the OED and a dozen other dictionaries are at my fingertips.

[lastscorpion.livejournal.com]

I've only ever heard it applied to particles and tile. What do people mean when they say "interstices of the text?"

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

I miss having the OED at my fingertips. (I had a subscription through school but am not gonna pay for a personal one now.) Next time I want something from the OED I'll try to remember that I have you to call on.

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

I'm going to miss my OED subscription--and all my other subscriptions--so much. As far as I'm concerned, that's a big reason for grad school all by itself.

[executrix.livejournal.com]

It's important to find out if bladder symptoms are interstitial cystitis or "regular" cystitis because the treatments are different.

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm familiar with the usage, I've probably used it myself, but as for meaning, well that's a different bird than usage, isn't it? Usually might say "hidden in the interstices of the text" or that an experience occurs "within the interstices of the text" or whatnot. Based on the actual definition, they seem to mean that within texts of certain complexity, there are these metaphorical nooks and crannies in which meaning can, you know, hide or something. But I think it's become more a piece of jargon at this point, with the metaphor more or less truly dead.

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

Good to know. I'm not sure what it means (well, I suppose I do since I have the definition up page) but good to know.

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

I'm shocked that my school hasn't actually taken away my OED subscription yet. When they do, I will be very, very sad.

Although I'll miss the JSTOR subscription more.

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

Smith didn't cancel or school e-mail addresses until end of September/early October IIRC, and we had access to all Smith subscriptions via logging in with our Smith e-mail address/password.

I think I do have a JSTOR subscription through HBS. I almost never used it at Smith and have never used it since, though.

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

I still have my remote access to the university server. At this rate, when they do take it away, the sudden shock to my system could very well kill me.