[Ads-l] more on "glory"

[Laurence Horn]

What we need is an AI that defines "glory" as 'a nice knock-down argument'.

LH

On Tue, Feb 24, 2026 at 7:32 PM Jonathan Lighter <
00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> I asked Gemini AI what it thought abot the concept of "glory," and it gave
> an interesting interpretation:
>
> " 'glory in war' is all about what a soldier feels and experiences
> personally—it’s the honor and pride found in facing tough situations."
>
> Neither OED nor MW suggests anything like this. MW comes closer, but no
> cigar:
>
>  "3a  a state of great gratification or exaltation
>                          When she's acting she's in her glory."
>
> I found Gemini's notion of special interest because for many years, even
> decades, I've exncountered exx. of usage that conform to that notion.
> Naturally I can't cite even one, but generally  a veteran of some war or
> other would say something like "I was hoping to find glory, but
> instead....."  I've always privately interpreted such exx. to refer to an
> extreme personal sense of pride or triumph rather than a more conventional
> sense of the word (e.g.., "merited renown.")  Cf. the scornful epithet
> "glory-hound" (Newspapers.com, 1923). The glory-hound doesn't seek "merited
> renown" so much as the right to brag of his supposed accomplishments.  Cf.
> also "blaze of glory," discussed here years ago.
>
> Isn't this a "new" semantic development of "glory"?
>
> Or is it just me and Gemini?
>
> JL
>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org