Vocabulary

Some people have wondered at the words I use, thinking them unusual. I was taught in elementary school and in High School and in University to acquire a good vocabulary. It has always been a problem how to talk to people. I confronted the problem and decided I could not appear to talk down to people. If they thought me to be elitist and affected, it would be better than to be seen to be patronizing and talking down to them.

I also use a dictionary published in 1932. It has a large number of archaic and obsolete meanings for words. Using it gets one back to the basics.