3 things

[psocoptera]

1) I owe comments to some fifteen-odd people (and fifteen odd people) on a variety of topics, notably thanks to everyone who's wished me well and stuff. On campus tomorrow, fast computers, we'll see.

2) What exactly is "adult" about the so-called "adult" edition of Garth Nix's _Lirael_? Is it just the discarding of the fabulous cover art for an uninspired more-abstract design, or did he put back in the previously-expunged sex scene between the psychic twins or something?

3) The son of your father's brother is your? Cousin, yes? Is there a British different usage of "uncle" such that uncle would be correct? Just read the second of Jill Paton Walsh's Wimsey books, and not to be all nitpicky, but in a family in the British aristocracy where the exact relationships of everybody are of some significance because of hypothetical inheritance issues, it is really jarring to have mistakes in how close family members are termed in relation to the main character's son. Even if there's a 20-year age gap.

Comments

[ortsorfragments.livejournal.com]

According to the OED, your uncle is either a) the brother(-in-law) of one of your parents, or b) an older male entirely unrelated, (or c) your mother's lover, or d) a male announcer on a BBC children's programme), but never another kind of relative.

Also, there appears to be a verb 'to uncle' defined as 'to deprive one's uncle of life', but I think that's the OED not recognizing the general structure '[Noun]? I'll [noun-as-verb] you!'...

Is this any relation (no pun intended) to Lord Peter Wimsey?

[franzeska]

Walsh is the one they hired to finish Thrones, Dominations. I hear she's written one entirely on her own too, though I've never read it.

[franzeska]

Well... I have no idea why she did it, but I often accidentally refer to my cousin Jennifer as my aunt, and she's certainly labeled that way in my head. Given that her daughter is older than I am, it's hardly surprising.

[kelilah.livejournal.com]

re Lirael: a) bwa ha, b) my guess is it's like the "adult" versions of Harry Potter, which doesn't mean that very interesting bits got put in, it means that it's got a cover that adults who don't go into the children's room without children safely in tow would feel unashamed of reading. Not that there's anything juvenile about the original cover, for heaven's sake. And also? Adults should get over themselves. I got over my "I read children's books!" shame when I was in college.