[Mercantides]

Jack Vance is one of my favourite SF/Fantasy writers. He's often cited for his excellent use of vocabulary. The book I was referencing was Cugel the Clever. It details the adventures of a Cugel, a man who thinks he is a lot smarter than he is. Very funny stuff. Even if you're not into the genre I would recommend it.

Seriously, when my post regarding engagement rings showed up my heart skipped a beat. Then I remembered that my girlfriend only uses computers to check her hotmail account.