I am reading a book called _The Jane Austen Book Club_ by Karen Joy Fowler. I don't have the exact quote (doesn't it bug you when you leave your book at work?), but one of the characters was talking about being in a social situation with another book club member and not having anything to talk about. She said something along the lines of

"Oh, I know I could have talked about our next book as I'd finished it and had been thinking about it all day, but since the club didn't meet for another week, I didn't want to risk premature articulation."

Clever!

Here you go! Quoting:

... neither Sylvia nor Allegra had arrived yet. So far it was only Prudie and Bernadette, and Prudiie didn't know Bernadette all that well, so Sylvia's divorce was one of the fecw topics of conversation theyhad in common. Jane Austen, too, of course, but the meeting on Pride and Prejudice was still a week away; Prudie didn't want to spoil it with premature articulation.

P.S. I got interested in the phrase, and found this biting passage in The London Evening Standard of last January (authored by Victor Lewis-Smith):

Richard Madeley, a man who suffers from delusions of adequacy ... I've long suspected that Richard has to whistle when he's at stool, to remind himself which end to wipe, and numerous clips confirmed that he also suffers from premature articulation (talking before thinking) ...

An otherwise mere vulgar insert is rendered masterly by 'at stool'.

Heh! I remember reading that review back in January and admiring Victor Lewis-Smith's turn of phrase then. V L-S is an amusing writer, and usually slips in deliberately poor-taste references at least once every article. He has some knowledge of his subject, too, since he's directed a number of TV programmes.

Well, Wordnerd - I guess we read the same books! Interesting - thanks for digging up the exact quote. And thanks for the other one, too. It's a good phrase, isn't it?

So, a boorish guffaw before a joke's punchline is delivered would be both a premature articulation AND a premature ejaculation? (Speaking non-sexually, of course)

quote:

Heh! I remember reading that review back in January and admiring Victor Lewis-Smith's turn of phrase then.

Figures. Arnie not only knows every English word there is, but he has read everything, too!

There are 629 listed in Google for "premature articulation."

so ... what's the WORD for that queue of individuals waiting to serve themselves from that large crystal bowl of liquid and ice and fruit slices ........ why that's the Punch Line, sir.

Jerry, I'm bowled over by that juicy turn of phrase!

quote:

Arnie not only knows every English word there is, but he has read everything, too!

Hardly. I do read the Evening Standard on the train coming home from work, and most days I'll read Victor Lewis-Smith's review of the previous night's TV.

I do think he was a trifle harsh about Richard Madeley, though. He's a harmless enough old geezer, and is saved from being totally anodyne by an egegious taste in ties. I find Carol Vorderman much more scary.

Don't know what I'm taking about?

quote:

(Speaking non-sexually, of course)

I didn't know you were capable of that, Asa.

quote:

Originally posted by Caterwauller:

quote:

(Speaking non-sexually, of course)

I didn't know you were capable of that, Asa.

Oh, I did a lot of that - prior to about 1949, when I turned five.

quote:

I find Carol Vorderman much more scary.

Although her style might not be too everyone's taste (which is common enough for any public figure) Carol is actually a highly intelligent lady with an IQ of around 170 as I recall.

quote:

Carol is actually a highly intelligent lady with an IQ of around 170 as I recall.

That's what I mean! Scary!

quote:

Originally posted by Richard English: Carol Vorderman is actually a highly intelligent lady with an IQ of around 170 as I recall.

I presume you're not deifying here, which would be an instance of premature immaculation.

hehehe - good one, Shu!