Chatter

Podcast - Chatter . . .

Just the other day - well, what seems like the other day, Lori brought home a pristine copy of The Readers Digest from December 1966 (35 cents).

The cover is exactly as I remember it, a summary outline of the articles with the corresponding page numbers. This issue boasts 45^th Year: Over 27 million copies bought monthly in 14 languages. That was over 54 years ago!

How she acquired this heirloom is interesting. The Paul Ecke family was featured in an article titled Crimson for Christmas. Paul Ecke III came across boxes of this particular issue that he distributed to employees of the Paul Ecke Ranch.

The trifold cover page featured an ad from Ford, “Mustang 1967 . . . bred first to be first!” With the slogan, “Just in time for Christmas . . . the do-it-Yourself Escape Kit!”

What’s interesting is the First Class Business Reply Postage Paid subscription card in the centerfold reads, “One new Digest gift subscription ONLY $2.”

Yes, in 2020 you can still subscribe to the Digest.

Huh, I’m wondering what would happen if this was mailed in to claim the subscription? With a quick Google search, you can buy a copy of this “collectors” issue from abebooks.com for $25.00 plus $5:00 shipping.

A popular section of the magazine was always; It Pays to Increase Your Word Power. Reviewing the list of words I’m certain young people and for that matter, people of my generation still benefit from this list.

Let’s test your vocabulary: define the word garrulous – is it? A: friendly. B: argumentative. C: talkative. D: senile.

No cheating, I see you pulling out that smartphone. Today, it’s so easy to just say, "Hey Siri what does garrulous mean?"

Provided you're still listening (reading), according to the author Peter Funk the correct answer is C: Tediously talkative, especially about trivialities; as a garrulous old man. Given to excessive and often trivial or rambling talk; tiresomely talkative.

Ok, I get it . . . someone who talks too much about unimportant things. It comes from the Latin root garrire, “to chatter.”

So, it seems I’ve become rather garrulous. Huh, not much has changed really!

This is Patrick Ball, thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

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