A Pickle for the Knowing Ones
A Pickle for the Knowing Ones or Plain Truths in a Homespun Dress is an autobiographical book published in 1802. The author, Lord Timothy Dexter, was an eccentric American businessman who got rich by making a series of horrible business decisions that, due to luck, turned out to be extremely profitable. [1] The book has no punctuation and capitalization is seemingly random (the author responded to complaints about this by giving the second edition an extra page full of punctuation marks, with the suggestion that the readers "solt and peper it as they plese"). As for the content, it's basically the author ranting about various things that irritate him and displaying his poor knowledge of how politics work.
You can read it here.
- Artistic License Linguistics: Reading this book is not recommended if you are a Grammar Nazi. You will most likely end up needing a gigantic can of Brain Bleach.
- Author Tract
- Corrupt Church: Despite clearly being religious, the author seems to have a very low opinion of the clergy.
- Cloudcuckoolander: The author, so very much.
- Either-Or Title
- Eldritch Abomination: The book itself is arguably an example.
- Love Freak: The author talks about peace and love often enough to qualify for this trope.
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if I had not the gost in my hous, I would give Lite to my brothers & sisters, and have a pease all over the world, and beat the trouthe into my frinds. houe gud it is -- houe onnest it would be -- and houe mankind has bin in posed and houe thay have bin blinded by untrouths, gosts and mister Divels [2] |
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- Mundane Made Awesome: The author's birth is presented this way.
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I was born when grat powers Rouled -- I was borne in 1747, Janeuarey 22; on this day, in the morning, A grat snow storme -- the sines in the seventh house wives; mars Came fored -- Joupeter stud by holding the Candel -- I was to be one grat man; mars got the beth to be onnest man, to Doue good to my felow mortels. [3] |
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- No Punctuation Period
- Older Than Radio: The book sold quite well, which suggests that Bile Fascination is not a recent phenomenon.
- The Philosopher: The author certainly thinks of himself this way.
- Satan: Mentioned frequently.
- Spear Counterpart: Timothy Dexter can be considered the eighteenth century equivalent of Tara Gilesbie, complete with the possibility that he may have actually been a brilliant Troll.
- Starfish Language: The lack of punctuation combined with terrible spelling and grammar might make it appear to have been written in some sort of bizarre alien language.
- Word Salad Title
- ↑ An example of one of these horrible business decisions: Sending coal to Newcastle. As in a place built on the coal-mining industry (thus the phrase "Coals to Newcastle" meaning "giving them something they have too much of already"). What happened just before it got there? The coal miners went on strike.
- ↑ If I had not the ghost in my house, I would give Light to my brothers & sisters, and have Peace all over the world and beat the truth into my friends. How good it is -- how honest it would be -- and how mankind has been imposed and how they have been blinded by untruths, ghosts and Mr. Devils.
- ↑ I was born when great powers ruled -- I was born in 1747, January 22; on this day, in the morning, a great snow storm -- the signs in the seventh housewives; Mars came forward -- Jupiter stood by holding the candle -- I was to be one great man; Mars got the beth to be honest man, to do good to my fellow mortals.