"basket weaving" revisited

[sagehen]

>>I'm sure that part of the appeal of referring to frivolous curriculum
>>as "underwater basket-weaving" is that it sounds *really* ridiculous
>>if you think the weaver has to accompany the basket underwater.
>
>I wonder whether it would sound as ridiculous if it were called
>"submerged." I have a vague sense that "underwater" might have a very
>slightly silly or ridiculous tone lurking -- perhaps because
>"underwater" is not all that far from "underwear."
>
>Semper ubi sub ubi,
>James Harbeck.
>
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Underwater ballet, or synchronized swimming has always had an ineffably
silly look to it IMO, though I don't know exactly why.
WRT Reed's Paideia & the course it offers, I'd guess it's regarded as
recreation.  When I was at Reed nearly 60 years ago we had something called
"Project Week" about halfway through the academic year. Since the scholarly
demands of most of the Reed curriculum were pretty heavy, it was a welcome
break.  ( I think it may have morphed into Paideia.)  I got to take a short
course in calligraphy from one of its greatest practitioners, Lloyd
Reynolds, during one Project Week.
AM

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