macadam

[sardith]

Hello friends,

Hope your holiday was fun, safe and delicious!

Now I would like to ask a question about a word from way back in 2005, 'macadam'.

What I'd like to know: is it okay to use the word, 'macadam', when referring to people, not just paving material? I'm aware that there are many other perfectly acceptable words just hanging around, waiting to be used to describe the amalgamation of people: affiliation, clan, coalition, confederation, e.g., but I need to know if this word, 'macadam', in particular, would be acceptable.

I've looked for examples in literature, but couldn't find any, but I know that there are an infinite number of writings, so I thought I should ask my Alpha Agora friends.

Thanks for listening,
Sardith
p.s. You can assume that we are talking about usage for poetry.

[LukeJavan8]

I've looked so far in at least a dozen places and all I get
are asphalt, named for its inventor McAdam, and the plant
the nut comes from. But I'll keep looking.

[Perry Lassiter]

Give us an example of how you might use it, please.

[Slava]

I'm no poet, but I'd go for saying it's stretching the meaning a tad. Then again, poets do get away with a lot of stretching at times. I guess that's why it's called poetic license.

As for macadamize, I can see that used in the sense of macadamize one's heart or soul.

For rhythm and sound, perhaps amalgam would suit? "An amalgam of disparate spirits"?

[Perry Lassiter]

I reread sardith's original and note she spoke of the "amalgamation" of people. Could she mean that macadam is an amalgamation of stuff for paving, so maybe she could visualize a macadam of supplicants lining up to see the king?

[sardith]

I would be more inclined to use one of the forms of the word, macadam, in the way that Slava suggested, in the arena of the heart:

As for macadamize, I can see that used in the sense of macadamize one's heart or soul.

Though in talking to a High School English teacher I know, he mentioned seeing it used in literature as a pejorative, as if people were the broken up stones of society, to be paved over and walked on. I might also be inclined to use it in that way as well.

Thanks for your input, you are always helpful to me, whether my personal issue is solved, or if not, just for the affirming repartee.
Sardith