"Griping Strength"

[Louis Epstein]

When he assaulted Frodo on the slopes of Orodruin,
the text says Gollum had lost "his old griping strength".

This has survived all revisions so apparently the word
choice is deliberate.

But does it refer to grips or to gripes?

-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.

[O. Sharp]

Post by Louis Epstein
When he assaulted Frodo on the slopes of Orodruin,
the text says Gollum had lost "his old griping strength".
This has survived all revisions so apparently the word
choice is deliberate.
But does it refer to grips or to gripes?

The OED has "griping" with a few different, now mostly-obsolete uses:
"grasps, or clutches tightly", for one. Like: "He seiz'd the shining Bough
with griping hold" (1697). Another of its definitions indicates "Causing
pain or distress, physical or mental", as "Oh grisly gripyng grief"
(1577). I think either of these could safely fit with Gollum's (lack of)
strength at this point, and we certainly know JRRT knew his OED and
language history quite well. :)

Though I admit I'm just as glad he didn't lean too much on the OED's
_third_ obsolete definition of griping, "applied more or less spec. to
spasmodic constricting pains in the bowels", as in 1732's "It excites
Vomiting, sharp griping Pains, with wind in other Parts of the Bowels".
That, I think, would have significantly muddled the focus of the scene,
not to mention made it much less fun to read. :/

-----------------------------------------------------------------
***@panix.com Ewwwwwwwwwwwww. I just haven't even got a
joke to make here. :/

[Louis Epstein]

Post by O. Sharp

Post by Louis Epstein
When he assaulted Frodo on the slopes of Orodruin,
the text says Gollum had lost "his old griping strength".
This has survived all revisions so apparently the word
choice is deliberate.
But does it refer to grips or to gripes?

"grasps, or clutches tightly", for one. Like: "He seiz'd the shining Bough
with griping hold" (1697). Another of its definitions indicates "Causing
pain or distress, physical or mental", as "Oh grisly gripyng grief"
(1577). I think either of these could safely fit with Gollum's (lack of)
strength at this point, and we certainly know JRRT knew his OED and
language history quite well. :)

I admit that I failed to consult my partial set of the OED 2nd
(rescued from the discard bin at a local recycling center by
someone who apparently never unloaded the rest) before posting
though I considered doing so...I do in fact have the relevant
volume (V) and from pages 849 ff. it appears that the distinction
between grips and gripes is not as clear as I had assumed. :)

Post by O. Sharp
Though I admit I'm just as glad he didn't lean too much on the OED's
_third_ obsolete definition of griping, "applied more or less spec. to
spasmodic constricting pains in the bowels", as in 1732's "It excites
Vomiting, sharp griping Pains, with wind in other Parts of the Bowels".
That, I think, would have significantly muddled the focus of the scene,
not to mention made it much less fun to read. :/
-----------------------------------------------------------------
joke to make here. :/

-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.