Hyperbole – Early Definition in 17th-century English manuals as a trope used when “one speaks much more than is precisely true… yea, above all belief.” Thought to derive from Greek forms combining Hyper, for “beyond” or “over”; and Bole for “a throwing” or “a casting.” Ridiculously off target but long Javelin throwing in the Olympics is a cited example.
When I was a young cub in the trade press, the defining characteristic of the ‘promising’ reporter was someone who could adequately sense the presence of hyperbole, and write a sentence.
In the spirit of Diogenes and Hemingway, reporters are still trained to treat adjectives and adverbs as “red flags of exaggeration.” Words like ‘first’ and ‘new’ and ‘solution’ are verboten.
Hyperbole was the arching concern for me through many years in the computer trade press… [Read more…] about Look back: Multiglobal Hyperbole Engines in 2025 – Pt.1
One finds oneself on a given day — as the semiretired do — talking about the old days. In this case, the days of Stewart Brand’s Whole Earth Catalog and — more explicitly — his follow-up Co-Evolution Quarterly.