If you enjoy burning copies of Fifty Shades of Grey, then I guess you'll be disappointed by the news that the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice has dissolved.

One of its leaders was Anthony Comstock (1844-1915), a Postal Inspector and a vicious crusader against all kinds of things that he considered vices. He made it his goal in life to root out gambling, belly dancing, prostitution, sexy postcards, obscene language, and any public mention of birth control, pregnancy, and even over-the-counter medicines.

He used his political power to arrest people, censor public materials, throw people in jail, and even shame people into suicide.

To put it mildly, Comstock was a self-righteous monster. His methods were so heavy-handed, and his definition of "vice" was so broad, that by 1905 the word "Comstockery" had come to mean any kind of prudish, overly moralizing censorship.

It was George Bernard Shaw who first used the word: "Comstockery is the world's standing joke at the expense of the United States."

So, when you want to point out how ridiculous and narrow-minded someone is being when they demand that such-and-such be removed from the public eye on the grounds that it's "improper," refer to their demands, or their attitude, as Comstockery.

Part of speech:

Noun, the proper kind, so you always capitalize it: "We don't need your Comstockery."

Other forms: 

You could refer to people as Comstocks, or Comstockers.

Incidentally, there's another famous Mr. Comstock whose name also became an English word, but this time for a fun reason. Henry Comstock (1820–70) was an American prospector who discovered an incredible amount of silver and gold in Nevada in 1859. So if you refer to something as "a Comstock," or "a Comstock lode," you mean it's a wonderful find: a treasure, a rich and lucky discovery. As in "Elster's Verbal Advantage is a Comstock lode of English words."

how to use it:

Pick the rare, scholarly word "Comstockery" when you want to criticize the way that someone is editing or controlling what people say, write, or talk about, either in public or online.

When you do, you're suggesting that this person is oppressing or even persecuting others, trying to force rigid morals onto them in an unwelcome, inappropriate, anti-free-speech kind of way. 

You might complain about someone's Comstockery. Or, say that someone is engaging in, wielding, committing, or veering on Comstockery.

examples:

"It is such a subtly pervasive thing, this Comstockery, it steals in wherever it can and puts the taint of its own uncleanness on whatever it touches." 
   — John R. Coryell, Mother Earth, Vol. 1 No. 1, March 1906

"Annalee Newitz's provocative second novel... outlines a near-epic battle for control of the timelines... The Comstockers are out to alter history to prevent all progress in women's rights to lock in their own 'Handmaid’s Tale' version of toxic masculinity."
   — Gary K. Wolfe, The Chicago Tribune, undated

has this page helped you understand "Comstockery"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "Comstockery" without saying "moralizing censorship" or "squeamish suppression of ideas or communication."

try it out:

In a book called The Mind of the Censor and the Eye of the Beholder: The First Amendment and the Censor's Dilemma, Robert Corn-Revere noted this about Anthony Comstock:

"Even at the height of his powers, the heavy-set crusader with mutton-chop sideburns was the butt of public ridicule... Comstock frequently was lampooned in illustrated comics, and in his final days, even his supporters distanced themselves from his excessive zeal."

In your view, does Comstock deserve all that ridicule? Why or why not?

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for February: Word Choice Chuckles!

I’ll give you a snippet of text that I spotted in the wild, with one word or phrase removed and its meaning described. See if you can fill in a word or phrase that'll give the reader a good chuckle. Be cheesy. Be punny. Get in there and make me proud.

Here's an example:

"This comes at a time of _____ in the mattress industry." 
   — Dan Solomon, Texas Monthly, 15 December 2017

Meaning of the missing word: "strife."

Answer: "unrest."

Try this one today:

"Even in the early 20th century the often loose link between scientific knowledge and technological advance was surprising; for example, aviation _____ _____ before scientists had a working theory of lift."
   — Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, Scientific American, 1 September 2020

Meaning of the missing phrase: "became popular."

To see the answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. Near-opposites of COMSTOCKERY include

A. SPICE and ENJOYMENT.
B. HEDONISM and PERMISSIVENESS.
C. CENTRALIZATION and COALESCING.

2. "His name may be forgotten, but the age of Comstockery is not over," Annalee Newitz warned in the New York Times in 2019. "He normalized the idea that the government could _____."

A. revoke voting rights from prisoners
B. spy on our mail to ferret out immorality
C. take possession of homes and businesses with no compensation

Answers to the review questions: 1. B 2. B Word Choice Chuckle: "Even in the early 20th century the often loose link between scientific knowledge and technological advance was surprising; for example, aviation took off before scientists had a working theory of lift."    — Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, Scientific American, 1 September 2020

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.