#contumely

n. Rudeness or contempt arising from arrogance; insolence.

contumely: a harsh dressing-down, or insulting display of contempt in language or actions. * Apparently most spotted in Shakespeare, and hardly ever used these days. As an aside: you might see from recent posts that I’m getting through a China Mieville book, so you can guess what this odd little fellow comes from! ** Double Aside: I am sure that Mr. Mieville is on a personal quest to sneak…

will they think i'm smart

well-read

and logical analytical brilliant

how do i hold the curtains of my brain up

noun ( pl. -lies)

contumely noun (pl. -lies) insolent or insulting language or treatment : the church should not be exposed to gossip and contumely.

The famous pronouncement upon Dylan Thomas’s death of a gross “insult to the brain” may have sounded weirdly poetic, but the medical expression is quite literal.  To ‘insult’ is to leap upon or assail in a physical sense  (from L. in + salire ‘to leap’).