Wandering Through Chapter 3 - More About Alcoholism
Pages 36 - 37

insanity

"Whatever the precise definition of the word may be, we call this plain insanity."¹
Big Book - More About Alcoholism - page 37

In this sentence the word insanity functions as a noun.²

Definition from Webster's 1930 edition.³

phenomenon, parallel

"But there was always the curious mental phenomenon that parallel with our sound reasoning there inevitably ran some insanely trivial excuse for taking the first drink. "¹
Big Book - More About Alcoholism - page 37

In this sentence the word phenomenon functions as a noun. The word parallel functions as an adjective.²

Definitions from Webster's 1930 edition.³

premeditation

"We now see that when we began to drink deliberately, instead or casually, there was little serious or effective thought during the period of premeditation of what the terrific consequences might be."¹
Big Book - More About Alcoholism - page 37

In this sentence the word premeditation functions as a noun.²

Once the behavior began, we gave little thought to what impact the results would have.

Definition from Webster's 1930 edition.³

incomprehensible, jay-walking

"Our behavior is as absurd and incomprehensible with respect to the first drink as that of an individual with a passion, say, for jay-walking."¹
Big Book - More About Alcoholism - page 37

In this sentence the word "incomprehensible" functions as an adjective.²

In this chapter, Bill examines thought patterns in alcoholics that lead to relapse despite good intentions. He illustrates his points with case studies: Carpet Slippers Guy (page 32), Jim the car salesman (page 35), the Jay-Walker (page 37), and Fred the accountant (page 39). The Jay-Walker story is a metaphor to show that alcoholism is a progressive illness, and that willpower alone is insufficient to stop the insane, self-destructive cycle of addiction.

Why we take the first drink is beyond human understanding. The word jay-walking does not appear in the 1930 edition of Webster's dictionary. It came into use in the 1910s. It is used to describe the person that crosses a busy street in an unsafe manner ignoring traffic laws. The phrase was originally jay-driver which was used to describe a greenhorn or driver that drove their horse drawn wagon, or later an automobile, on the wrong side of the street. The first place jay-walking laws were enacted was Los Angeles in 1925.⁴

Definition from Webster's 1930 edition.³

chap, queer

"Up to this point you would label him as a foolish chap having queer ideas of fun."¹
Big Book - More About Alcoholism - spans pages 37 - 38

In this sentence the word "chap" functions as a noun. The word "queer" functions as an adjective.²

The word "chap" is British slang for a man, boy, or fellow, and it can sometimes sound a bit upper-class or old-fashioned. It comes from the 16th-century word "chapman," which meant a trader or customer. Over time, "chap" changed from describing someone in trade to simply meaning a person. In the 1930s, Americans recognized "chap" as a British term, but they still understood it. Today in the US, similar casual terms would be "a good guy", meaning someone who is likable or dependable.

During the 1930s and earlier, the term queer referred to something strange, peculiar, or eccentric. During the 1950’s and 60’s, its meaning evolved into a derogatory slur for homosexuals or those seen as breaking gender norms, and this use was widely considered discriminatory. Today, its use continues to evolve: some LGBTQ+ groups have reclaimed the term with pride, while some older individuals, who experienced the word as a violent insult, still find it hurtful and discriminatory.

Definitions from Webster's 1930 edition.³

Footnotes for page 30

¹Quotes from the Big Book on listed on this page are from the public domain version, in the United States, of the 2^nd edition of the book Alcoholics Anonymous. Accessible at 12step.org

²Sentence diagramming, to determine the word usage within the sentence, was performed by CoreNLP at corenlp.run.

³Definitions used are from the Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language 1930 Edition. Access to this dictionary online is at Hathitrust.org

⁴Wiktionary entry for jaywalking.