please empty your brain below
|
|
In your 5 word summary, is 'houseful' even a word, or would it have to be 'house full'? I know it wouldn't be 5 words then, but you could make 'House full of class art' to narrow it down.
Tube Geek | 10.02.16 - 7:29 a.m. | #
|
|
Kenwood House is a treasure, as you describe, much appreciated by many North Londoners. The park is special too - yes, part of Hampstead Heath but with its own character. I enjoyed my virtual visit this morning, perhaps it will encourage me towards a real one soon.
Malcolm | 10.02.16 - 9:12 a.m. | #
|
|
Rubbing my eyes in amazement at the first comment.
Great Aunt Annie | 10.02.16 - 9:15 a.m. | #
|
Dictionary has "houseful" as a quantity - cf a handful, a bucketful, a wagonload.
You entertain a houseful of children, not a house full of children (because you are not entertaining the house but the children).
In DG's sentence, either sense would work, but it would remain a "houseful" of world class art even if the house itself was empty and you put it all in a car boot sale.
timbo | 10.02.16 - 10:16 a.m. | #
|
Kenwood House has been much visited by my family and I since I first discovered it as the halfway point of a sponsored walk in the late '70s.
Note to pedantic types: this blog contains the very occasional typo (which is normally swiftly corrected) but seldom does DG misconstrue the meaning of words in his well constructed prose!
Frank F | 10.02.16 - 10:35 a.m. | #
|
OED: "houseful, n. ... A quantity (of people) that fills a house; as much or as many as a house can hold. Freq. with of."
I think the usage can extend beyond just quantities of people, though. Yes, it is a house full of art: it contains a houseful of art.
Free? Amazing.
Andrew | 10.02.16 - 10:35 a.m. | #
|
|
@Great Aunt Annie. I can't help it I wasn't sure! Thank you @timbo and @Andrew for telling me it is
Tube Geek | 10.02.16 - 10:51 a.m. | #
|
Some years ago there used to be evening concerts by the Lake at Kenwood House, I discovered that in the afternoon there would be a rehearsal and I would sometimes travel there, get some tea from Kenwood House and sit by the Lake for the "free" concert, before the ticketed event in the evening.
I used to get the bus from Golders Green and after having my tea would walk through the Heath, downhill all the way, to Gospel Oak station for a train to Richmond.
Made a nice afternoon.
I think the concerts stopped a few years ago.
John | 10.02.16 - 2:16 p.m. | #
|
I remember as a teenager in the mid-1970s being dragged along to Kenwood by my parents for a performance of the 1812 Overture, complete with cannons.
I'm sure I'd rather have gone to a Led Zeppelin or Hawkwind gig if there was one on offer. These days I'm rather more appreciative of classical music (while still preferring rock).
Steve Bird | 10.02.16 - 4:00 p.m. | #
|
|
I love Kenwood. About time I went again, thanks for reminding me.
Caz | 10.02.16 - 4:13 p.m. | #
|
|
Also the portrait of Mary, Countess of Howe is one of Gainsborough's finest.
BlackCat | 10.02.16 - 4:30 p.m. | #
|
|
See the "grammer police" are at it again!
Ed | 10.02.16 - 10:42 p.m. | #
|
|
The Rembrandt is my favourite.
God | 11.02.16 - 12:29 a.m. | #
|
Interesting house:13 Buses:7
Until you realise it's actually
Buses:7
Interesting house:6.5
grammar:6.5
timbo | 11.02.16 - 7:32 a.m. | #
|
|
Precisely, timbo. Well summed up. This is the sort of thing DG was on about in his Comment Value Hierarchy post on Dec 17. I see there is now a quick link to it, over there on the right.
Great Aunt Annie | 11.02.16 - 9:03 a.m. | #
|
@timbo and all those 6.5 grammars were my fault!
Just had a look at that comment value thing. I'm a 3f!
Tube Geek | 11.02.16 - 4:15 p.m. | #
|
|
Went here a couple of weeks later but only reading on here about it now. Loved the paintings and the cakes in near equal measure.
Rick | 17.04.16 - 6:24 p.m. | #
|
|
|
TridentScan v2.10.0 | Privacy Policy
|