BigRiddles
Unusual isn't?
posted by VinceAuric - June 24 2012 11:15:40 PM
This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out! Try to do so without any coaching! You probably won't, at first, find anything particularly odd or unusual or in any way dissimilar to any ordinary composition. That is not at all surprising, for it is no strain to accomplish in so short a paragraph a stunt similar to that which an author did throughout all of his book, without spoiling a good writing job, and it was no small book at that. By studying this paragraph assiduously, you will shortly, I trust, know what is its distinguishing oddity. Upon locating that "mark of distinction," you will probably doubt my story of this author and his book of similar unusuality throughout. It is commonly known among book-conscious folk and proof of it is still around. If you must know, this sort of writing is known as a lipogram, but don't look up that word in any dictionary until you find out what this is all about.
Reply by Boiler - June 25 2012 04:52:07 AM
there is no inclusion of the letter "E" or the letter "Z" in the entire paragraph. A lipogram is a literary work that omits a letter in its entirety. Usually not so easy to do with such a common letter!

Reply by Boiler - June 25 2012 12:26:32 PM
just an addition, appears "X" and "V" do not occur, either

Reply by VinceAuric - June 27 2012 12:11:51 AM
Yes this is correct.. Check also the book by Ernest Vincent Wright. Gadsby. 50,000 words with no E

Reply by Holast - August 24 2012 11:23:56 AM
We had a similar exercise in school but the difference is that in our text each word must begin with the same letter. (Serbian language)

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