8
votes
Significance of the title of "Corn-Grinders" by Sarojini Naidu
Naidu's title "Corn-Grinders" draws upon a metaphor common in the Indian subcontinent, where a grinding mill symbolizes the pitilessness of existence.
As Spagirl writes in her answer, corn ...
- 21.8k
7
votes
Accepted
Who originated "The Life and Lies of xxx"?
tl;dr:
1979 as the title of a published work.
1854 as a reference in general.
Usage peaked in the 1990s through 2010s.
1979: The Life—and Lies—of Maud Gonne
was an essay published by Conrad Balliet ...
- 3,928
7
votes
Accepted
Where was the story first told that the title of Vanity Fair come to Thackeray in a "eureka moment" in bed?
This is from the recollections of Thackeray’s friend Kate Perry:
He told me, some time afterward, that, after ransacking his brain for a name for his novel, it came upon him unawares, in the middle ...
- 53.5k
6
votes
Significance of the title of "Corn-Grinders" by Sarojini Naidu
I understand this question to have two effective parts, ‘why corn?’ and ‘why ‘corn grinders?’
My reading is that ‘corn is used in this sense (per the OED):
II.3.a.Old English–collective singular.
The ...
- 18.6k
6
votes
Accepted
What does the title "Three Parts Dead" mean?
I sent a message to Max Gladstone via Reddit, and he replied:
Hah, good question. The title springs from a Bertrand Russell quote, which I first stumbled upon out of context, but which is from his ...
- 10.3k
5
votes
Accepted
What is the relationship between Angelou's poem "Caged bird" and book "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"?
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was the first volume of Maya Angelou's autobigography, which eventually grew to seven volumes. Published in 1969, the title is taken from the third stanza of Paul ...
- 8,861
5
votes
Accepted
A website to see the complete list of titles under which the book was published
WorldCat does this fairly well for books that have been catalogued in the participating libraries (which are mostly academic libraries). I recommend using the advanced search, so you can specify ...
- 44k
4
votes
Accepted
Why did Gurnah title this story "Cages"?
The cages are the physical, material, and psychological circumstances of the characters, primarily Hamid, but also Fajir, Mansur, and Rukiya.
Hamid himself thinks of the shop as a prison or cage from ...
- 21.8k
3
votes
A website to see the complete list of titles under which the book was published
A partial answer, the ISFDB does this fairly well for fantasy and science fiction literature, with alternate titles provided for entries. That said, it is limited to SF&F, to the point where story ...
- 10.3k
3
votes
What is the significance of the chapter title “Detention With Dolores”?
Here are several possibilities, which may not be entirely convincing on their own, but taken together may provide a fair justification for the chapter title.
The title “Detention With Dolores” is ...
- 3,198
3
votes
What does the title of "Leili" mean?
The poem describes night. ("The dying day"..."golden moons") And Leili is a Persian word that means 'night'.
Turns out the word is often used by poets:
In sultry climates of ...
- 1,835
2
votes
Accepted
Difference between two similarly-named books - 'The Bear Who Wanted to [Be|Stay] a Bear'
The Bear Who Wanted to Stay a Bear is published by Andersen Press, which is a U.K. publisher.
The Bear Who Wanted to Be a Bear is published by Heryin Books, Inc., which is a U.S. publisher.
This then ...
- 11.6k
2
votes
Accepted
Why do authors and publishers allow inscrutable titles?
The general question is impossible to answer, but in the specific case of Consider Phlebas I can make some guesses why the publisher did not insist on renaming it Mask of the Changer or Quest for the ...
- 53.5k
2
votes
What if it were named '*The* Animal Farm'?
Names of houses, farms etc. don't usually take an article, except in a few cases where the name is also a description (e.g. The White House). Historically, The Manor Farm would have been a description ...
- 329
1
vote
What is the literary effect of dropping articles from titles?
This question fascinated me, and as I read, my own theory developed. This "theory" feels to me as much a question as the original post, so I leave it here as a jumping off point for further ...
- 11
1
vote
Why is the last title in Proust's "Search For Lost Time" not consistently translated as "Time Found Again"?
The translation of "A la Recherche du Temps Perdu" by "Rememberance of things past" is not so bad as well as your proposition "The Search For Lost Time". On the other ...
- 179
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