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Mpgrewal Posted 21 years ago
Vocabulary

Please explain the meaning of this quotation?

Celebration of cerebration is not what the public wants. Indeed, the opposite is probably true. We are suspicious of excessive smartness.

--David R. Slavitt, "You Can Go Holmes Again.
  

Top answer

Hard to tell out of context (or maybe even in context), Manpreet. 'Excessive smartness' would suggest to me overconcern with fashion or chicness. 'Celebration of celebration' would suggest preoccupation with celebrating qua celebrating, or celebration for the sake of celebration: too slick a production, too many fireworks and cheerleading teams.

— Mister Micawber

  • Hard to tell out of context (or maybe even in context), Manpreet.
  • 'Excessive smartness' would suggest to me overconcern with fashion or chicness.
  • 'Celebration of celebration' would suggest preoccupation with celebrating qua celebrating, or celebration for the sake of celebration: too slick a production, too many fireworks and cheerleading teams.
  • So: the public does not want overproduced festivities for a holiday or an event.
  • Perhaps.
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6 Answers
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Hard to tell out of context (or maybe even in context), Manpreet. 'Excessive smartness' would suggest to me overconcern with fashion or chicness. 'Celebration of celebration' would suggest preoccupation with celebrating qua celebrating, or celebration for the sake of celebration: too slick a production, too many fireworks and cheerleading teams.

So: the public does not want overproduc
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Hello Manpreet and MrM

I would interpret it slightly differently:

'People don't like other people to appear very clever.'

Out of interest, Manpreet, do many people call you on your cellphone, after seeing the number in your signature?

MrP
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I appreciate your replies, MrM and MrP.
MrM, you took it slightly wrong. Acutally its 'Celebration of cerebration' not 'Celebration of celebration'.

I think MrPedantic has enlightened it for me.
MrP, no one has called yet, I think its better to remove it from signature and place somewhere else.
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Pretty good bluff, though, wasn't it?
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Yes, but the idea expressed by the author is very strange.
Very few people dislike smartness.
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Not so strange, Manpreet. Have you never 'played dumb' when it was politic to do so? Many people are wary or jealous of too much obvious intellingence in others. Why did George Bush get so many votes? Many voters are leery of liberal intellectuals.
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