Now Out: Essay 1371 on 俊 (excellent), 7 New-Monics, and a Write-Up

The 174th essay has posted! Essay 1371 on 俊 (excellent; genius; talented person) is now available for purchase. Here's a preview:

This kanji mainly pops up in male names, such as those of several authors (e.g., a prolific poet who translates Peanuts comic strips!), an astrophysicist, manga characters, and a prime minister. Learn to say, "He was a precocious child when he was little, but he grew up to be an ordinary adult." Also see what the Japanese think of geniuses and find out how one mom produced four.

Using the accompanying Phrase Maze game on the Character Home Page, you can practice the vocabulary in the essay after reading it. 

Ulrike has produced a new batch of new-monics (which are free!):

程 (754: extent)
適 (755: suitable)
敵 (756: enemy)
婦 (779: woman)
武 (781: military)
編 (785: to compile)
腕 (1945: arm)

Finally, I was thrilled to stumble upon a great write-up of Joy o' Kanji on Japan Directory: A Collection of Websites About Japan. I would like to clarify one thing, though. A subscription to Joy o' Kanji costs just $85 per year, which is cheaper than a Starbucks habit!