Word: meaninglessness
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Postponement. The British burned most early U. S. census details in the sack of Washington in 1814. Native stock, clear in the early days, was blurred by intermarriage with alien newcomers. Historical data is scant or unreliable. Racial names have become meaningless through social changes. So the 2Oth Century scientists bogged down in confusion and Congress in 1927, postponed the effective date of National Origins to July 1, 1928; later to July 1, 1929, where it now remains...
...cataloguing of the customs of the inhabitants and the birds and animals seen. Evidently the writer realizes his weakness for he makes gallant attempts to raise his style to more inspired heights by the interjection of eloquent rhapsodies that unfortunately end by losing themselves in a cloud of meaningless adjectives...
...gloried in running the notorious railroad. Then he built the Fall River Line of boats, painted the cabins a delicate green with pearl trimmings; the cornices and arches, lilac, pink, and pearl; and as admiral laden with gold braid he stood gloriously on the bridge issuing resonant (though meaningless) nautical orders. His twinkling justification: "If Vanderbilt's a commodore, I guess I ought to rank as admiral." But colonel he actually was-the ninth division, short of men and funds, had gladly elected him, and he paraded with pomp and fanfare. In splendid military regalia he escorted shabby President...
...substantial U. S. novels that have feeling and sound sense. Whether she wearied of her impeccable artistic performance; or whether moving to New York from her Kentucky mountains proved too kaleidoscopic; or whether the critic lives up to his proverbial reputation for obtuseness, Jingling in the Wind is utterly meaningless potpourri of pleasant enough bits of satire, glimpses of nature, young men in love. A 21st century substitute for Prometheus is Jeremy, rainmaker, who journeys to the rainmakers' convention. On the way the motorbus is stalled, and each passenger tells an inferior Canterbury tale (the title of the book...
...abstruse writings are delectable to a few devotees; but to many they are meaningless, affected, smartly vulgar. Point Counter Point is a rich symphony of modern semi-intellectual London, done into polished prose that will be read slowly and with great relish-by the devotees...