the curate's egg: a rant.

Do you know the story of the curate's egg?

It was told in a Punch cartoon of the 1890s:

 
Bishop: "I'm afraid you've got a bad egg, Mr Jones"; Curate: "Oh, no, my Lord, I assure you that parts of it are excellent!"

(The writer of that cartoon was George du Maurier, grandfather of Daphne.)

I've been thinking about curates. They're junior priests, and historically they haven't had anything like the social standing or income of their seniors.

They do have a splendid title, though: the word curate comes ultimately from the Latin cūra, to care. Curates care, about and for, people.

Curators have a similar job, though what they care for, and about, are usually precious museum or gallery exhibits. 

This, below, was sent me on 15/5/15. It's from a firm called One Regent's Place. 

Fallen Fruits offers a range of unique gifts inspired by nature. We have carefully curated a small range of their best selling items which are destined to add interest to your garden this summer.

Curated? Curated??

They're not curating anything, they've just got the stuff in to flog off quick.

Curating...good grief.

And I'll tell you something else: the stuff isn't destined to add interest to my garden, either.

Hwoof!

Word To Use Today: curate. But only if you really do care.