11.3.04

Monk v. Holiday

A MONK is a dark area on a printed page, caused by uneven inking of a plate or type. The term derives from the pre-printing press days of Europe, when publishing consisted of monks, hand-copying texts, and the occasional splotches of ink were inevitable.

HOLIDAYS are light spots in a coat of paint. As it was explained to me, it comes from the good-humored sentiment, "The painter must have been taking a holiday when this part of the wall was being painted."