CRAIG CONLEY (Prof. Oddfellow) is recognized by Encarta as “America’s most creative and diligent scholar of letters, words and punctuation.” He has been called a “language fanatic” by Page Six gossip columnist Cindy Adams, a “cult hero” by Publisher’s Weekly, a “monk for the modern age” by George Parker, and “a true Renaissance man of the modern era, diving headfirst into comprehensive, open-minded study of realms obscured or merely obscure” by Clint Marsh. An eccentric scholar, Conley’s ideas are often decades ahead of their time. He invented the concept of the “virtual pet” in 1980, fifteen years before the debut of the popular “Tamagotchi” in Japan. His virtual pet, actually a rare flower, still thrives and has reached an incomprehensible size. Conley’s website is OneLetterWords.com.
The classic 'Oh, look at that peacock' ruse for changing the subject dates back to 1889. From Cathedral Bells by Vin Vincent (1889). The caption reads: "'What?' asked Ina. 'Oh look at that peacock.'"
One of the secrets of timelessness is to throw a shadow on the clock face. From Cranford by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (1898). The caption reads: "So as to throw the shadow on the clock face."
It's commonly thought that there are no corners on a globe, yet here's one from Man and Nature on the Broads by Arthur Henry Patterson (1895). The caption reads: "A quiet corner."