# A 50,000 word essay, without the letter "e". **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2004, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047 "2004-08-23T04:18:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/21 "2004-08-24T00:08:15Z")
When y’all get tired of lipograms, you can always try your hand at univocalics — compositions containing only one vowel. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/22 "2004-08-24T01:00:20Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > When y’all get tired of lipograms, you can always try your hand at univocalics — compositions containing only one vowel. Huh? Uh-uh! Rufus must dust. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/23 "2004-08-24T01:53:30Z")
This post has been brought to you by the IEEEEEEEE – the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Eating Easter Eggs Every Evening. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/24 "2007-04-20T20:06:36Z")
Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I couldn’t think of a better place to put [this](http://www.suturesound.com/stwpt/tracks/0026_a_rap_song_in_which_none_of_the_lyrics_contain_the_letter_e.mp3). ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/25 "2007-04-20T20:15:49Z")
Rap? Pshaw. This board’s Old-Man-on-Lawn Squad would call it “crap”! (Or, might not. I dunno.) ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/26 "2007-04-20T20:45:09Z")
Now if only the author understood punctuation. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/27 "2007-04-20T21:18:03Z")
[QUOTE=wolf\_meister] **Rufus** Looking at your posting, you fulfill all lipogram conditions. You claim Bob55’s posting should’nt count (quotation marks surround that taboo typing). In my mind, I think both of your postings satisfy any and all lipogram limitations. Wow !! I wish I could construct postings similar to both of yours. That is tough work. [/QUOTE] It looks as if a board participant is fishing for approbation of a sort! Can you confirm this? A particular instant of punctuation should shift a bit though. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/28 "2007-04-20T21:24:49Z")
**Ludovic** I’m not that fond of rap too. And composing a rap song with a lipogram constraint is not as difficult as it sounds. I think a lot of SDMB folks could accomplish such a task. Would it win a Grammy? Probably not - but who wants awards anyway? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/29 "2007-04-20T21:25:45Z")
[QUOTE=5-4-Fighting] It looks as if a board participant is fishing for approbation of a sort! Can you confirm this? A particular **instant** of punctuation should shift a bit though. [/QUOTE] “ **mislocation** of punctuation” ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/30 "2007-04-20T21:32:48Z")
Whoops - sorry **5-4-Fighting** I saw your posting and just had to say that I’m not trying to show off. (Sorry, but this kind of writing can hold a kind of addiction wouldn’t you say?) ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/31 "2007-04-20T22:08:57Z")
[QUOTE=wolf\_meister] Whoops - sorry **5-4-Fighting** I saw your posting and just had to say that I’m not trying to show off. (Sorry, but this kind of writing can hold a kind of addiction wouldn’t you say?) [/QUOTE] I agr–; uh, I concur! I wasn’t criticizing you though, just playing along. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/32 "2007-04-20T22:21:38Z")
Ken Jennings recently commented on his website about a book called _Eunoia_, consisting of five essays- each one written with only one of the vowels (for example, only “a”- no “e,” “i,” “o,” or “u”). He also comments that he himself once tried to rewrite _Star Wars_ as a story only using the vowel “A.” ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/33 "2007-04-20T22:25:16Z")
[QUOTE=nikjohns] “The end” oops [/QUOTE] You could go with “That’s All, Folks!” ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/34 "2007-04-20T23:48:30Z")
I find that doing this is a bit difficult. But, in truth, I am turning into an addict. Finding words that fit without the taboo symbol is rough though. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/35 "2007-04-21T00:31:23Z")
[QUOTE=Tristan] I find that doing this is a bit difficult. But, in truth, I am turning into an addict. Finding words that fit without the taboo symbol is rough though. [/QUOTE] Is a gally-wumpus _schwa_ OK, though? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/36 "2007-04-21T00:47:33Z")
Um, the rap song posted uses E in the first few seconds. He says “this whole song”. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/37 "2007-04-21T01:05:50Z")
And then there is the song in spanish about “Todos los Orozco”, which just from the title you can guess uses only the “O”. Excellent song and very funny lyrics. [http://www2.rock.com.ar/letras/2/2627.shtml](http://www2.rock.com.ar/letras/2/2627.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/38 "2007-04-21T08:01:19Z")
Hmmmm did **kaylasdad99** talk about a schwa? Is it similar to this ə ? I think that’s what it is but if I’m wrong I am willing to admit to that slipup. Anybody know about linguistics - particularly a schwa? ---
**Author:** ![bubastis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bubastis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubastis)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/39 "2007-04-21T08:46:51Z")
In Steve martins Book, “the Pleasure of My Company”, his lead character is an obsessive-complulsive with many debilitating tics. In order to complete a roadtrip to his hometown, during which he may or may not suffer the armageddon that would be a gas attendant with a blue cap, he decides to lump all his obsessions into one, and focus on it instead. He chooses not to use the letter E the whole trip. Hilariously, he succeeds, and not only that, his fellow roadtripper never realises what he’s diong. ---
**Author:** ![Tyrrell\_McAllister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tyrrell_mcallister/32/16772_2.png) [@Tyrrell\_McAllister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tyrrell_McAllister)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047/40 "2007-04-21T10:04:19Z")
[QUOTE=FilmGeek] Um, the rap song posted uses E in the first few seconds. He says “this whole song”. [/QUOTE] I think he says, “this full song.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-50-000-word-essay-without-the-letter-e/261047.md?page=3)