[Ads-l] more on "glory"

[Jonathan Lighter]

But that AI would be indistinguishable from the ravings of a solipsistic
ovate.

Is that what the world needs now?

JL

On Tue, Feb 24, 2026 at 8:03 PM Laurence Horn <
00001c05436ff7cf-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> 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
>


-- 
"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