interpretive creativity and creative interpretation

[SILK at AC.GRIN.EDU]

        I was shocked, yes SHOCKED, to see the unlegalistic manner with
which our dharmashastri Sri (or Sir?) Richard has taken on the
Straightforward Conlon.  For my turn, I completely fail to follow his
reference to, apparently -- and I say apparently because his letter seems
to be disfigured by a series of serious misprints or errors in the textual
transmission (unexpected from such a manuscript specialist) -- "hip and
waist coat greetings."  Perhaps this is a reference to those neocolonialist
scholars who have not yet understood that jeans and tweed are now the
academic uniform?  Just what sort of greetings do those who still wear
waist coats give each other?  -- Why, obviously "Have a Nice day!" of
course!   (Those scholars seem to consider Nice some sort of Mecca for
academics, though why Paris seems to have lost status remains unknown;
perhaps it is the superior weather in Nice.)
        As far as "having cows" is concerned, it is more than a little
surprising that an excellent indologist like Sir Richard should have failed
to notice the obvious reference to wealth -- what else could such a term
mean?  The term can be nothing else than an attempted translation of
_gomat_.  Probably the term "Simpson" is also a scribal error for
"Simpleton," and the meaning that instead of using the proper Sanskrit term
_gomat_ the Simpletons use the vernacular expression "have a cow," not
realizing  that _go_ should be taken in compound in the plural.  Simpletons
in their deplorable ignorance of Sanskrit say "have a cow" for _gomat_
instead of the correct "having cows."  (Sir Richard, excellent knower of
Sanskrit that he is, has unconsciously corrected the singular "have a cow"
of the original, but apparently without realizing the importance of his
intuitive correction.)  This interpretation is bolstered by the context of
the original expression, in which "hare-brained" immediately precedes
"Simp[let]on."  (The connection with the moon, shasaanka, and "looney" must
not be ignored.)
        What do they say in the land of the Alamo?  "Y'all take care now,
hear?"?

Respectfully,

Jonathan Silk
SILK at AC.GRIN.EDU

Jonathan Silk
SILK at AC.GRIN.EDU