Merismus (mer-is’-mus): The dividing of a whole into its parts.
I was going to divide a hole into its parts. It had a top,, sides and bottom and a vacant center. But is a vacant center actually a part? Maybe if we call it an empty space it would be clearer. In reality it is a void—a column of nothingness. If it’s connected to whole/hole and is integral to its being, it’s a parted. Take it away, or fill it n, there’s no hole any more—maybe just a dent in the dirt on the ground. So, what’s all this speculation about holes worth? I don’t know, and I don’t have to know.
Take a shoe for example. Knowing its parts makes you a more canny shopper. You ask questions and impress the salespersons with your shoe knowledge. He or she will realize they’re not dealing with an uninformed Custumer and be less likely t try and hit you with a she scam, like selling you Odor Eaters or shoe balm.
So, what are the parts of a shoe? I’m not sure, but I’ll give it a try.
1: The big part you put your foot in (the upper).
2. The laces.
3. The tongue.
4. The sole.
5. The heel.
6. The midsole.
Now you are equipped to look like you “know” shoes. You ask “What is the midsole made of. This question will embarrass the salesperson and make you feel superior.
The more parts you know. The more you know. Think about love. Does it have parts! What about the descent into mental illness. Say, you are normal one day and then you’re standing in your living room pointing a loaded hand gun at your TV set. What are the steps to losing your job? What were the parts of the argument with you wife that ended in divorce.
See? Knowing the parts of everything will make you wise like an owl. Only, of course, you won’t actually be an owl. That’s not possible. in fact, nobody knows what makes owls wise, or even if they are actually wise. I don’t think an owl can take an IQ test. There—we have advanced our knowledge with facts—by questioning an old worn-out saying. Clearly, owls’ natural wisdom has declined to the point of no return.
My girlfriend has a pet owl. She feeds it dead mice she buys frozen at the pet store. The owl never goes “hoo” and just sits on its perch eating mice and crapping on cage bottom. Its name is Vick. He pays no attention when my girlfriend calls him. We think he fell out of his nest and hit his head when he was a baby. It is a shame. My girlfriend is considering putting him up for adoption.
Anyway, every whole has its parts.
Definitions courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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