You didn't Google, Chris, as Piers hinted. If memory serves, the
"slough of despond" is from "Pilgrim's Progress." (At least that's
what I assume Google would yield -- I didn't actually Google it
either.) I recall reading somewhere that at one time if there were
but two books in a English-speaking family's home, one would be the
Bible and the other "Pilgrim's Progress."
I think Chuck is right that "despondency" would be the normal nounal
form now, which I am guessing makes you as despondent as it does me,
since you are also a lover of words.
Joel W.
On 7/25/06, Chris Barker <ftog@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> No, I've never heard "despond" as a verb. It's archaic English and
> it's a noun.
>
> It is normally "despondency" now but it could have been an artistic
> contraction. If only I could remember the poetry or prose where I
> read it. It might have been a bit from "Paradise Lost".
>
> Chris
> ~~ >-)-
> C M I Barker
> Cambridgeshire, Great Britain.
> +44 (0)7092 251126
> www.threeshoes.co.uk
> homepage.mac.com/zuiko
>
>
> On 25 Jul 2006, at 13:49, Chuck Norcutt wrote:
>
> > "despond" is a verb so the word here should be "despondency".
> > Colloquially, it might not work with a lot of Americans. Except those
> > from the south (like Walt) where slough/slew/slue is a fairly common
> > word, probably half wouldn't know the meaning of "slough" and a
> > quarter
> > probably wouldn't know the meaning of "despondency".
> >
> > "In the swamp/dregs/gutter of depression" might be understood by 80 or
> > 90 percent. Of course, OM'ers, being generally smarter and more
> > literate, would have no problem with any rendition. :-)
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