Quote 364 of 497

What is the purpose of putting a word like "otorhinolaryngological" in
a sex scene?

That's called showing off. I had just learned that word. I went to a
doctor last year for some sinus problems, and he had this certificate
on the wall and it had that word on it. I think, if you don't overdo
it, readers are flattered if you throw a word like that at them. I
don't do that kind of thing many times. It's juvenile, frankly. I used
to love to go through the dictionary and find these words and feel
superior because I knew them.
		-- Tom Wolfe in an interview published in Nerve,
		   November 2004
		   http://www.nerve.com/screeningroom/books/interview_tomwolfe/

Tags: nerve dictionary tomwolfe sexscene otorhinolaryngological sinusproblems