GARGOYLE, n. A rain-spout projecting from the eaves of mediaeval buildings, commonly fashioned into a grotesque caricature of some personal enemy of the architect or owner of the building. This was especially the case in churches and ecclesiastical structures generally, in which the gargoyles presented a perfect rogues' gallery of local heretics and controversialists. Sometimes when a new dean and chapter were installed the old gargoyles were removed and others substituted having a closer relation to the private animosities of the new incumbents.
2007 Update: Architectural evidence that the most pious and devoted medievel Christians still sought protection from pagans. The overhead powerpoint presentation of the Dark Ages.
first?
ReplyDeletegargoyle: bestial stone.
ReplyDeletelaughing, because when i first looked at this word i read "gargle", and thought... hmmm. why would Bierce have a definition for that?
ReplyDeletesorry about the "first" thing, Penguin. *looks over shoulder, climbs up on roof and attaches stone penguin to the eaves above front door* ; )
gargoyle to rinse one's sore throat with salt & water.
ReplyDeletegrrr -- [feather growls at puppy]
ReplyDeleteOverhead PowerPoint exhibiting local heretic having a close relationship to my private animosities. lol. Gallows would work, too. xoxo
ReplyDeletegargoyle:some faces are fierce, others are kindly, still more grotesque
ReplyDeleteA great building has one to protect (or judge) every person who walks through that building whether or not they know it
Gargoyles: Another example of how hard working unfortunates had to do someone else's dirty work. See also, "Flying Monkeys."
ReplyDeleteSo, you're sayin' that those aren't dried heads lost to a guillotine? Huh! Learn somethin' every day over here.
ReplyDeletegargoyles: morning faces before orange juice, toast, and preening
ReplyDeleteAlso, see ugliness.
Gargoyles: The precursor to home security systems. They may have worked better too.
ReplyDeletegargoyle, trapped beast that is sentenced to vomit water instead of fire for ever, amen. (thanks, Mule!)
ReplyDeletei have a hunch about quasimodo *waving garlic*
ReplyDeletegopjcagm: going in pajamas to a gym in California
hey ariel!
ReplyDeletegargoyle,n: they´d make wonderful private detectives due to their ability to stay in one place watching for long periods of time. Since they can´t do anything with money, you can pay them in pigeons, which would erase another problem, too!
ReplyDeletegargoyle, never bother making contact with us because they are incapable of closing their mouths. Impossible to pronounce human phonemes that way ;)
GARGOYLE, n. Evidence that Thomas Bowdler is alive and well and living at the Disney studios.
ReplyDeleteKarma, that's because they sleep with the trainer. ;)
ReplyDeleteI cannot remember when was the last time I said I love your verifiers, so I just say it again, I love your verifiers!
Neva you were first. I guess I need some new gargoyles.
ReplyDeleteMule, that's a beautifully poetic phrase. I kinda want to rinse off, though.
Neva, *gets bonked on the head by falling penguin statuary while composing smart-alecky comment. Suffers no discernible damage*
Quilldancer, the first law of caninity: always growl before freshening breath.
Mireille, gallows work great!
Pia, every building has them, too. In modern construction, they're placed near the water cooler.
Mutha, I fear that I might no more see
A working dog or flying monkey
This disaster of these latter ages:
Man's laziness has become contagious.
There's naught to do but cry and laugh
When the master's ease infects the staff.
TLP, see BREAKFAST.
Or after coffee, Jamie Dawn?
G, gargoyles worked much worse. Can you imagine running around while bells were ringing trying to remember the Da Vinci Code?
Ariel, that's the definition of the day. I'd be humbled if I had enough sense.
Karma, I've often wondered the same thing about Quasimodo. He looks and sounds Italian. I sure miss your verifiers when you hide.
Minka, I've met a person or two who could talk without closing their mouths. I'm not naming names, though.
Amoeba, Bowdler is a hero to me. He proved that meaning means less to literature than language. I consider him a forbear.
Agreed, Ariel.
I was going to mention that I gargoyle every morning with mouthwash, but I was beaten to the punch early on.
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha!!!
ReplyDeleteGargoyle: A cherub with a thyroid condition.
ReplyDeleteGurgling griffins guarding galleries.
ReplyDeleteI like Garboys and Gargoyles both
ReplyDelete*wakes up, rubs bump on top of head* ouch. that's the last time i shop at Gargoyles R Us. d'oh!
ReplyDeletecome to think of it, Gargoyle reminds me of a song from Mary Poppins: "Chim chimerae, chim chimerae, chim chim cheroooooooooooh!"
Nessa, there's nothing worse than second-hand mouthwash.
ReplyDeleteNyuk, nyuk, G.
Al, that's pretty funny. Or a cupid in the morning?
great going, TLP!
Haha, Icy. Good goyle!
Puppy, you're making jokes out of both sides of your mouths today.
makes me think of Ghostbusters.
ReplyDeleteHaHaHa aHaHaH
ReplyDeleteDoug, Good! Saves me the time to mention names for people who talk out of their...umm...rears!
ReplyDeleteariel, i love you back :))
ReplyDeletedawg: why ain't i talking these days? guess gargoyle got my tongue
And rightly so, Joel.
ReplyDeleteIt's a fine line, Neva, between a chimera and Medusa.
Minka, I think what we have here is the ancient agreement of mutual assured destruction.
I wonder how true it is, Actonbell. I agree its interesting.
In that xase, K I wish a mild monsoon season.
The only thing I know is when someone asks you what you are doing while you are gargling, with a mouth full of green stuff, it's going to sound like gargoyle.
ReplyDeleteI love it when my sweetie brings his gargoyles along... in fact we are meeting up with the baby gargoyle in Milan in a few short days... oh, weren't we talking about the daughters?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the poem Doug -- is it just like falling off a log for you? Or is that someone else's work?
ReplyDeleteSure, Coop, but it looks better.
ReplyDeleteTerry, only you can answer that.
Neither, Mutha. But silliness comes naturally.
I thought I left a comment here yesterday, but it apparently got eaten. I probably mispelled the wordveri thing.
ReplyDeleteAll I said was, your definition is perfect and there was nothing I could add to it.