Plethora and Paucity

Plethora - The first definition is :-

a bodily condition characterized by an excess of blood and marked by turgescence and a florid complexion

but of course I am using it in its main sense. Someone wrote a letter to our (very) local newspaper regarding the number of pigeons in the village (an issue which seems to invoke (evoke?) many emotions in the residents). The letter drew our attention to the recent Plethora of Pigeons (Not the correct collective noun I imagine) and how this has turned into a Paucity. I just draw this to your attention before someone uses the word Kafkaesque in a letter to our paper. I once used it in a letter to a landlord (a few decades ago) and I am still embarrassed about it. Talking of superfluous words, the tap water in the toilets at one of our sites, is 'unfit for drinking purposes' as opposed to just unfit for drinking. A Plethora of Superfluous words indeed. Actually, Plethora and Paucity were a pair of existential comedians from the early eighties but they flopped because they had a Dearth of jokes.

I am pleased to say that I have found self-reference in the 'My Naughty Little Sister' stories I am reading to my daughter. In 'My Naughty Little Sister goes to School', she goes to school with her bigger sister for just one day. MNLS Makes a Plasticine basket and gets a 'ten out of ten' paper for answering a question correctly. The teacher puts all of these treasures on the Mantlepiece. Then MNLS does a drawing of the whole classroom including all the pupils AND the mantlepiece with her basket and the 10/10 paper. The teacher says that this drawing should also go on the Mantlepiece but MNLS has to draw in a small copy of the drawing before it goes up. I think I may have said 'self reference' quietly to myself as I read this but my daughter just looked at me blankly. Anyway remember that MNLS is not that naughty. Strange loops are everywhere. Look for them; nurture them. They are somehow satisfying.

One of my bosses just told me that ASP is 'self documenting'. Bosses! Who needs them? ( Still haven't designed a rhetorical question mark).

At the Cherry Orchard Hotel I suppose you would have to Check Off rather than Check Out.