Now Out: Essay 1355 on 秀 (excellent), 2 Radical Notes, and 10 Revisions

The 499th essay has posted! Essay 1355 on 秀 (excellent; superior) is now available for purchase. Here's a preview:

Learn to differentiate 天才 (genius) from 秀才 (brilliant person). Discover a script that may have preceded kanji in Japan. And find out how to say, "Everyone recognized him as a brilliant pianist," "He's an outstanding lawyer," "This school is one of the best," "He ought to pass the examination, for he is very capable," "Edison was not a talented student," and "His snow haiku was excellent." 

Also, rather surprisingly I have posted two Radical Notes! Although I originally intended for the Radical Note library to cover only the radicals on duty in each Joyo kanji, I have made two exceptions by writing Radical Notes 90 and 97. I did so because Ulrike's Mnemonics mention those radicals, and it seemed incomplete not to link the references to something. Here are the new Radical Notes:

• Radical Note 90 on 爿 ("split wood (left half)"): Discover the kanji, such as 状 (717: shape) and 寝 (1441: sleep), in which 爿 serves as a mere component, and learn to distinguish it from radical 91.
• Radical Note 97 on 瓜 ("melon"): See why 孤 (1229: solitary) and 弧 (1230: arc) contain a "melon" component, of all things! 

Finally, these essay revisions have posted:

• essay 1032 on 凹 (concave, hollow; sunken)
• essay 1079 on 獲 (to catch game or fish; get)
• essay 1252 on 洪 (flood, deluge; vast)
• essay 1334 on 漆 (lacquer)
• essay 1371 on 俊 (excellent; genius; talented person)
• essay 1410 on 彰 (clear)
• essay 1792 on 邦 (country; Japanese, Japan) 
• essay 1821 on 墨 (black inkstick; black ink; Mexico)
• essay 1964 on 怨 (grudge)
• essay 2051 on 遡 (going upstream; retracing the past)

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