#charlesdickens — Public Fediverse posts

Grinds, Grinding and Grinders

When I moved to Ireland, almost nine years ago, one of the words I discovered had a usage with which I was unfamiliar was grind. My first encounter with this was after a lecture on vector calculus when a student asked if I knew of anyone who could offer him grinds. I didn’t know what he meant but was sure it wasn’t the meaning that sprang first into my mind so I just said no, I had just arrived in Ireland so didn’t know of anyone. I resisted the temptation to suggest he try finding an appropriate person via Grindr.

I only found out later that grinds are a form of private tuition and they are quite a big industry in Ireland, particularly at secondary school level. School students whose parents can afford it often take grinds in particular subjects to improve their performance on the Leaving Certificate. It seems to be less common for third level students to pay for grinds, but it does happen. More frequently, university students actually offer grinds to local schoolkids as a kind of part-time employment to help them through college.

The word grind can also refer to a private tutor, i.e. you can have a maths grind. It can also be used as a verb, in which sense it means `to instil or teach by persistent repetition’.

This sense of the word grind may be in use in the United Kingdom but I have never come across it before, and it seems to me to be specific to Ireland at least in current usage. A colleague sent me a link to an article about Carew Arthur Meredith, who worked at Trinity College Dublin from 1943 to 1964 but who was previously at Cambridge University and lived there until 1939:

After graduating, Meredith married Sybil Clark and settled down to what was to be for many years his occupation: that of university coach or “grinder.”

This establishes a possible conduit for the transfer of the word “grinder” from England to Ireland and it inspired me to look at the trusty online Oxford English dictionary which includes examples of usage. In fact the OED gives as examples of “grind” as a transitive or intransitive verbs and as a noun as well as the verbal noun “grinding” and the deverbal noun “grinder”. Here are some pertinent quotes. The first below, incidentally, is from a book of American college slang, demonstrating that the word had crossed the Atlantic by 1851.

Here are the most relevant examples, some of them hilariously susceptible to a double entendre.

n. Steady hard work; labour of a monotonous kind, esp. close and hard study; an instance of this, a dull and laborious task.

1851
Grind, an exaction; an oppressive action. Students speak of a very long lesson which they are required to learn, or of anything which is very unpleasant or difficult to perform as a grind.
B. H. Hall, Collection of College Words

1857
A medical student would have told him, that a ‘Grind’ meant the reading up for an examination under the tuition of one who was familiarly termed ‘a Grinder’—a process which Mr. Verdant Green’s friends would phrase as ‘Coaching’ under ‘a Coach’.
‘C. Bede’, Mr. Verdant Green Married xi. 93

vi. To work hard at a subject of study under the direction of a tutor or ‘grinder’.

1835
I am obliged to ‘grind’..that is, undergo a private examination with an authorized teacher or tutor.
E. Forbes in G. Wilson & A. Geikie, Memoir of Edward Forbes (1861) vi. 176

1870
After grinding with private-tutor Mylius the requisite time, Lessing entered the school of Camenz.
J. R. Lowell, Among my Books (1873) 1st Series 308

vt. To teach (a subject) in a steady laborious manner; also, to prepare (a pupil) in a subject.

1815
implied in:
Perhaps when Tom leaves Oxford..we may contrive some gainful grinding [i.e. tutorial] scheme between us. [at grinding n.]
J. Keble, Letter to Coleridge in Mem. (1869) iv. 63

1848
A pack of humbugs, and quacks, that weren’t fit to get their living but by grinding Latin and Greek.
W. M. Thackeray, Vanity Fair: A Novel Without a Hero lvi. 502

1859
[Dr. Bennett] undertook to grind him in anatomy and physiology.
G. Wilson & A. Geikie, Memoir of Edward Forbes vi. 180

In Hard Times by Charles Dickens there is a character by the name of Mr Thomas Gradgrind, a grimly utilitarain school superintendent who insisted on teaching only facts. Hard Times was published in 1854 which is after some of the quotations above so Dickens did not originate the use of “grind” in teaching. He may have amplified it, of course.

This demonstrates that these terms were established in 19th Century England, but does not explain how their usage died out there but still flourishes in Ireland. Can anyone shed light on this? First recorded usages of grind, etc in Irish literature would be most helpful!

A Christmas Coral: Great Books That Never Were 🪸

A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas is a famous Charles Dickens novella from 1843. It is not as good as the Muppet Christmas Carol special film (1992) of the same work (the one with Michael Caine in it).

However, better yet is the 1991 classic A Christmas Coral by novelist Dick Charles. This was his last work he ever had published, for he was abducted by aliens in 1993 and hasn’t been heard from since. Thus, this beautiful book is a testament to his existence prior to abandoning life on Earth.

Just Keep Swimming in A Christmas Coral

“It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour. Oh, except whooping cough syndrome. That’s pretty contagious…”

The story follows the life of Ebenezer Scurvy in 1762, a pirate whom is a bit of a miserable prick. However, when he’s mercilessly attacked by a great white shark the blood loss leads to him viewing the world in a more upbeat way.

As he floats about in the ocean with a limb missing, he recalls his life in a series of hallucinations. The chapters go like this:

1. Prologue
2. Birth
3. Childhood
4. Formative years at Yarr University
5. SHIVER ME TIMBERS!!!
6. Recession
7. More recession
8. Plague outbreak
9. Scurvy outbreak
10. Pirating years
11. Shark attack and limb loss
12. Further pontifications
13. Death and absorption by the ocean
14. Epilogue

A Christmas Coral is notorious for its tediousness. The work is 1,100 pages and rambles a fair bit. It also makes references to more modern life, which is somewhat anachronistic given the work is supposed to be set in 1762.

“For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself. And if you’re unaware about that reference, I’m on about Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone.”

Many literary critics were at pains to point out Macaulay Culkin could not possibly have starred in Home Alone circa 1762 as:

• Macaulay Culkin wasn’t alive
• Cinema didn’t exist

To set the record straight on this matter, Professional Moron reached out via telepathy to Dick Charles for a comment. He declined to comment. As such, his legacy is in ruins and this book is stupid woopid.

Addendum Thesis: Is The Christmas Coral Even Related to Christmas in Any Way?

We’re ending this review on a mini-dissertation, for there’s much scholarly musing over whether A Christmas Coral is, indeed, a work of Xmas-related literature. There are three core postulations:

1. Yes, it is
2. No, it is not
3. Maybe

Compelling arguments, all, but we tend to side on the front of “maybe” as it’s the most apathetic. Yet, on reflection, we feel we may change our stance to “yes” as that’s the most nonsensical, but plausible.

We mean, it’s there in the title: A Christmas Coral.

The work may not go on to have anything to do about Christmas, or corals for that matter, but it’s there in the name and, therefore, that is a convincing argument (if one a tad childlike in its reasoning). Plus, the book references Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone and that’s about as Xmas as it gets, eh?

A Christmas Coral: Great Books That Never Were 🪸

A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas is a famous Charles Dickens novella from 1843. It is not as good as the Muppet Christmas Carol special film (1992) of the same work (the one with Michael Caine in it).

However, better yet is the 1991 classic A Christmas Coral by novelist Dick Charles. This was his last work he ever had published, for he was abducted by aliens in 1993 and hasn’t been heard from since. Thus, this beautiful book is a testament to his existence prior to abandoning life on Earth.

Just Keep Swimming in A Christmas Coral

“It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour. Oh, except whooping cough syndrome. That’s pretty contagious…”

The story follows the life of Ebenezer Scurvy in 1762, a pirate whom is a bit of a miserable prick. However, when he’s mercilessly attacked by a great white shark the blood loss leads to him viewing the world in a more upbeat way.

As he floats about in the ocean with a limb missing, he recalls his life in a series of hallucinations. The chapters go like this:

1. Prologue
2. Birth
3. Childhood
4. Formative years at Yarr University
5. SHIVER ME TIMBERS!!!
6. Recession
7. More recession
8. Plague outbreak
9. Scurvy outbreak
10. Pirating years
11. Shark attack and limb loss
12. Further pontifications
13. Death and absorption by the ocean
14. Epilogue

A Christmas Coral is notorious for its tediousness. The work is 1,100 pages and rambles a fair bit. It also makes references to more modern life, which is somewhat anachronistic given the work is supposed to be set in 1762.

“For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself. And if you’re unaware about that reference, I’m on about Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone.”

Many literary critics were at pains to point out Macaulay Culkin could not possibly have starred in Home Alone circa 1762 as:

• Macaulay Culkin wasn’t alive
• Cinema didn’t exist

To set the record straight on this matter, Professional Moron reached out via telepathy to Dick Charles for a comment. He declined to comment. As such, his legacy is in ruins and this book is stupid woopid.

Addendum Thesis: Is The Christmas Carol Even Related to Christmas in Any Way?

We’re ending this review on a mini-dissertation, for there’s much scholarly musing over whether A Christmas Carol is, indeed, a work of Xmas-related literature. There are three core postulations:

1. Yes, it is
2. No, it is not
3. Maybe

Compelling arguments, all, but we tend to side on the front of “maybe” as it’s the most apathetic. Yet, on reflection, we feel we may change our stance to “yes” as that’s the most nonsensical, but plausible.

We mean, it’s there in the title: A Christmas Carol.

The work may not go on to have anything to do about Christmas, or corals for that matter, but it’s there in the name and, therefore, that is a convincing argument (if one a tad childlike in its reasoning). Plus, the book references Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone and that’s about as Xmas as it gets, eh?

A Christmas Coral: Great Books That Never Were 🪸

A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas is a famous Charles Dickens novella from 1843. It is not as good as the Muppet Christmas Carol special film (1992) of the same work (the one with Michael Caine in it).

However, better yet is the 1991 classic A Christmas Coral by novelist Dick Charles. This was his last work he ever had published, for he was abducted by aliens in 1993 and hasn’t been heard from since. Thus, this beautiful book is a testament to his existence prior to abandoning life on Earth.

Just Keep Swimming in A Christmas Coral

“It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour. Oh, except whooping cough syndrome. That’s pretty contagious…”

The story follows the life of Ebenezer Scurvy in 1762, a pirate whom is a bit of a miserable prick. However, when he’s mercilessly attacked by a great white shark the blood loss leads to him viewing the world in a more upbeat way.

As he floats about in the ocean with a limb missing, he recalls his life in a series of hallucinations. The chapters go like this:

1. Prologue
2. Birth
3. Childhood
4. Formative years at Yarr University
5. SHIVER ME TIMBERS!!!
6. Recession
7. More recession
8. Plague outbreak
9. Scurvy outbreak
10. Pirating years
11. Shark attack and limb loss
12. Further pontifications
13. Death and absorption by the ocean
14. Epilogue

A Christmas Coral is notorious for its tediousness. The work is 1,100 pages and rambles a fair bit. It also makes references to more modern life, which is somewhat anachronistic given the work is supposed to be set in 1762.

“For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself. And if you’re unaware about that reference, I’m on about Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone.”

Many literary critics were at pains to point out Macaulay Culkin could not possibly have starred in Home Alone circa 1762 as:

• Macaulay Culkin wasn’t alive
• Cinema didn’t exist

To set the record straight on this matter, Professional Moron reached out via telepathy to Dick Charles for a comment. He declined to comment. As such, his legacy is in ruins and this book is stupid woopid.

Addendum Thesis: Is The Christmas Coral Even Related to Christmas in Any Way?

We’re ending this review on a mini-dissertation, for there’s much scholarly musing over whether A Christmas Coral is, indeed, a work of Xmas-related literature. There are three core postulations:

1. Yes, it is
2. No, it is not
3. Maybe

Compelling arguments, all, but we tend to side on the front of “maybe” as it’s the most apathetic. Yet, on reflection, we feel we may change our stance to “yes” as that’s the most nonsensical, but plausible.

We mean, it’s there in the title: A Christmas Coral.

The work may not go on to have anything to do about Christmas, or corals for that matter, but it’s there in the name and, therefore, that is a convincing argument (if one a tad childlike in its reasoning). Plus, the book references Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone and that’s about as Xmas as it gets, eh?

‘All the watering places are crammed with hot people’: on holiday with Dickens https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/20/holiday-charles-dickens-exhibition #CharlesDickens #Books #Exhibitions #Culture #ArtAndDesign #London #Kent #IsleOfWight #Travel

‘Armed with a hamper from Fortnum & Mason’: on holiday with Charles Dickens
By Caroline Davies

Exhibition at Charles Dickens Museum in London looks at writer’s holiday pursuits, from Kent to the Isle of Wight

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/20/holiday-charles-dickens-exhibition

#CharlesDickens #Books #Exhibitions #Culture #Artanddesign #London #Kent #IsleofWight #Travel #TheGuardian #CarolineDavies

https://www.europesays.com/at/296965/ Großes Comeback – Johnny Depp: Hollywoods beliebtestes Chamäleon – Kronen Zeitung #AChristmasCarol #AmberHeard #AndreaRiseborough #AT #Austria #BarnabasCollins #Celebrities #CharlesDickens #DaisyRidley #Depp #Ebenezer #Entertainment #französischen #IanMcKellen #JohnnyDepp #Österreich #Prominente #RaoulDuke #RupertGrint #SanDiego #TimBurton #Unterhaltung #WhiteyBulger #WillyWonka

https://www.europesays.com/at/293007/ Johnny Depp überrascht Fans als Ebenezer Scrooge bei Comic-Con #AChristmasCarol #AmberHeard #AT #Austria #CharlesDickens #ComicCon #DaisyRidley #EbenezerScrooge #Entertainment #Hollywood #IanMcKellen #JohnnyDepp #Kinofilm #Österreich #RupertGrint #SanDiego #stars #TiWest #Trailer #Unterhaltung #Weihnachtsfilm

Johnny Depp is playing Scrooge? I am not here for his big Hollywood comeback https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jul/24/johnny-depp-is-playing-scrooge-i-am-not-here-for-his-big-hollywood-comeback #JohnnyDepp #Film #Culture #FamilyFilms #AmberHeard #Comiccon #CharlesDickens

Johnny Depp is playing Scrooge? I am not here for his big Hollywood comeback https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jul/24/johnny-depp-is-playing-scrooge-i-am-not-here-for-his-big-hollywood-comeback #JohnnyDepp #Film #Culture #FamilyFilms #AmberHeard #Comiccon #CharlesDickens

Johnny Depp is playing Scrooge? I am not here for his big Hollywood comeback https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jul/24/johnny-depp-is-playing-scrooge-i-am-not-here-for-his-big-hollywood-comeback #JohnnyDepp #Film #Culture #FamilyFilms #AmberHeard #Comiccon #CharlesDickens

Johnny Depp is playing Scrooge? I am not here for his big Hollywood comeback
By Stuart Heritage

‘It’s good to be back,’ says the actor in a new trailer for the forthcoming Ebenezer. Has everyone forgotten about the ghosts of his past?

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jul/24/johnny-depp-is-playing-scrooge-i-am-not-here-for-his-big-hollywood-comeback

#JohnnyDepp #Film #Culture #Familyfilms #AmberHeard #ComicCon #CharlesDickens #TheGuardian #StuartHeritage

Johnny Depp is playing Scrooge? I am not here for his big Hollywood comeback
By Stuart Heritage

‘It’s good to be back,’ says the actor in a new trailer for the forthcoming Ebenezer. Has everyone forgotten about the ghosts of his past?

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jul/24/johnny-depp-is-playing-scrooge-i-am-not-here-for-his-big-hollywood-comeback

#JohnnyDepp #Film #Culture #Familyfilms #AmberHeard #ComicCon #CharlesDickens #TheGuardian #StuartHeritage

It’s Weekend, Let’s Read: Who is the author with more works in the Guardian’s list of 100 greatest novels of all time?

The Guardian made a list of the 100 greatest novels of all time. You can see the list here, with links to how Guardian’s made it. First place of the list is George Eliot with Middlemarch, but I thought to check which authors had more works in this list. And it’s Virginia Woolf with five books!

Second place in the number of the novels in the list are Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, both with four books.

Best part? There all in public domain, so you want to start with any of these four authors, right here, right now, head to Project Gutenberg and let’s read!

Books by George Eliot – https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/90

Books by Virginia Woolf – https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/89

Books by Jane Austen – https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/68

Books by Charles Dickens – https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/37

"Writing the Brain" by Stefan Schöberlein looks at how C19 literature in Britain & the US incorporated discourses from the emerging neuroscience. Authors discussed incl #GeorgeCombe #CharlesDickens #EmilyDickinson #PlinyEarle #BenjaminRush & #AlfredTennyson

#VictorianStudies #MedicalHumanities

There is an incredible atmosphere in the historic #London home of #CharlesDickens, so if you're in the big smoke this weekend, come on in and visit our beautiful #museum!

https://dickensmuseum.com/pages/admissions #museums #housemuseums