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Sharing our love for authors, and the stories they are inspired to tell.

Wondrous Words Wednesday

1. STEARINE

Whilst researching a little more about this book as I was preparing a series of promotional posts, I discovered that ‘Price’s Candle Factory‘ was indeed a genuine employer, with a long history and good employment record. This word comes not from the book itself, but from the company history page on Price’s website.

Cover Image Of 'The Candle Factory Girl' By Tania Crosse

In the 1820’s a French chemist, Chevreuil, had published his researches into fatty acids. By mixing a strong alkali with vegetable or animal fats he discovered that the solution separated into liquid and solid components. This technique known as ‘saponification’, was already used by soap makers, but nobody had employed it for candle manufacture. William Wilson’s son, George, experimented with this process; by adding a further distillation using a vacuum or high pressure steam he improved Chevreuil’s basic chemistry. Price’s were now able to refine tallow and vegetable oils to produce a harder, pure white fat known as stearine. Candles made from this burned brightly without smoke or smell. The same chemistry could also be applied to a range of unsavoury raw materials that had previously been unusable – skin fat, bone fat, fish oil and industrial waste greases could all be rendered into hard white candles.

STEARINE

  • Also called: tristearin a colourless crystalline ester of glycerol and stearic acid, present in fats and used in soap and candles; glycerol tristearate; glycerol trioctadecanoate. Formula: (C 17 H 35 COO) 3 C 3 H 5.
  • Another name for stearic acid, especially a commercial grade containing other fatty acids.
  • Fat in its solid form.

 

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I am almost too ashamed to feature this amazing work of literary fiction, as I finished reading it so long ago and have yet to offer the author the courtesy of a review. If you have the chance, this book does come highly recommended and is well worth the reading time.

2. EPISTEMOLOGY

Cover Image Of the Book - 'The Maestro, The Magistrate & The Mathematician' By Author Tendai Huchu

You must not get bogged down with abstract philosophies. Epistemology is a dead end…

EPISTEMOLOGY

The theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope, and the distinction between justified belief and opinion.

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3. QUOTIDIAN

Cover Image Of the Book - 'The Maestro, The Magistrate & The Mathematician' By Author Tendai HuchuThe trade off was the litter-strewn streets, the quotidian smell of piss in the stairwells, blasts of loud music from partying neighbours and the unsightly locale

QUOTIDIAN

Of or occurring every day; daily.

Ordinary or everyday; mundane.

(Medicine) Denoting the malignant form of malaria.

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WONDROUS WORDS WEDNESDAY

… Is An image for the weekly meme Wondrous Words Wednesdaya weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we have encountered in our reading. It is hosted by Kathy, over at ‘BermudaOnion’s Weblog’. You can either stop by and leave a link to your own ‘mystery’ words of the week, or just browse the eclectic mix of words that others have discovered, there is always a great selection.

Don’t forget that Kathy and the rest of us, all love to read your comments  as well, so that we can visit and share your words of the week!

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Written by
Yvonne

I can’t remember a time, even as a child, when I haven’t been passionate about books and reading.
I began blogging, when I realised just how many other people out there shared my passion for the written word and I have been continually amazed at the wealth of books that are available and the amount of great new friends I have made, from literally 'The Four Corners Of The World'.

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Written by Yvonne