---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mrs. Bittarcy rustled ominously, holding…"
description: "\"“Mrs. Bittarcy rustled ominously, holding her peace meanwhile. She feared long words she did not understand. Beelzebub lay hid among too many syllables..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c4/algernon-blackwood-15571_erudition_mrs-bittarcy-rustled-ominously-holding-h_2239616.jpg"
---

#  Mrs. Bittarcy rustled ominously, holding her peace…

![“Mrs. Bittarcy rustled ominously, holding her peace meanwhile. She feared long words she did not understand. Beelzebub lay hid among too many syllables. ("The Man Whom The Trees Loved")” quote by Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c4/algernon-blackwood-15571_erudition_mrs-bittarcy-rustled-ominously-holding-h_2239616.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c4/algernon-blackwood-15571_erudition_mrs-bittarcy-rustled-ominously-holding-h_2239616.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c4/algernon-blackwood-15571_erudition_mrs-bittarcy-rustled-ominously-holding-h_2239616.jpg)

> ““Mrs. Bittarcy rustled ominously, holding her peace meanwhile. She feared long words she did not understand. Beelzebub lay hid among too many syllables. ("The Man Whom The Trees Loved")””

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The character fears complex language, seeing it as a demonic force that obscures truth, reflecting anxiety over incomprehensible knowledge.

**In simple terms:** Fear of complex words as evil.

Key Takeaway

Simplify communication.

Themes

language fear knowledge demons misunderstanding

Mood

anxious introspective creative

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- education
- public speaking
- writing workshops

Key Concepts

cognitive anxiety literary symbolism communication barriers

Questions to Reflect On

- What words make you uneasy?
- How can you make ideas clearer?

A Different Perspective

Complex language can alienate audiences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Erudition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/erudition/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Long words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-words/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/)

## Related quotes

> [“She feared long words she did not understand. Beelzebub lay hid among too many syllables.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/she-feared-long-words-she-did-not-understand-beelzebub-lay-hid-among/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [Christmas always rustled. It rustled every time, mysteriously, with silver and gold paper, tissue paper and a rich abundance of shiny paper, decorating and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/christmas-always-rustled-it-rustled-every-time-mysteriously-with/)

[Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/)

> [“My books rustled by like a military of ducks. My mother had never liked my books. She'd said they kept me from real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rivka-galchen/my-books-rustled-by-like-a-military-of-ducks-my-mother-had-never/)

[Rivka Galchen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rivka-galchen/)

> [“As she ran her gown rustled softly like the wind in the flowering borders of a river.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/as-she-ran-her-gown-rustled-softly-like-the-wind-in-the-flowering/)

[J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/)

> [“A book from a nearby shelf tumbled to the ground and the pages rustled a moment before settling. I bit my lip, debating. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lani-woodland/a-book-from-a-nearby-shelf-tumbled-to-the-ground-and-the-pages/)

[Lani Woodland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lani-woodland/)

> [“The tree leaves rustled like that noise e-books make when you turn the page.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-nayeri/the-tree-leaves-rustled-like-that-noise-e-books-make-when-you-turn/)

[Daniel Nayeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-nayeri/)

> [There are some simple maxims which I think might be commended to writers of expository prose. First: never use a long word if a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-are-some-simple-maxims-which-i-think-might-be-commended-to/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia is the fear of long words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia-is-the-fear-of-long-words/)

Author Name

> [“...I'm worried I will leave grad school and no longer be able to speak English. I know this woman in grad school, a friend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-m-worried-i-will-leave-grad-school-and-no-longer-be-able-to-speak/)

[Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/)

> [If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know? If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/if-a-word-is-misspelled-in-the-dictionary-how-would-we-ever-know-if/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [“It is a long journey, not just as a writer, but as a human being. Take nothing and no one for granted, be humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ck-webb/it-is-a-long-journey-not-just-as-a-writer-but-as-a-human-being-take/)

[CK Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ck-webb/)

> [“One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/one-of-the-really-bad-things-you-can-do-to-your-writing-is-to-dress-2/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [Never is a long word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/never-is-a-long-word/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one's real and one's declared aims, one turns, as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-great-enemy-of-clear-language-is-insincerity-when-there-is-a-gap/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/one-of-the-really-bad-things-you-can-do-to-your-writing-is-to-dress/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

## More by Algernon Blackwood

> [Time is measured by the quality and not the quanity of sensations it contains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/time-is-measured-by-the-quality-and-not-the-quanity-of-sensations-it/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [“Deep silence fell about the little camp, planted there so audaciously in the jaws of the wilderness. The lake gleamed like a sheet of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/deep-silence-fell-about-the-little-camp-planted-there-so-audaciously/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [“Certain houses, like certain persons, manage somehow to proclaim at once their character for evil. In the case of the latter, no particular feature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/certain-houses-like-certain-persons-manage-somehow-to-proclaim-at/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [Not easily may an individual escape the deep slavery of the herd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/not-easily-may-an-individual-escape-the-deep-slavery-of-the-herd/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [Ritual is the passage way of the soul into the Infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/ritual-is-the-passage-way-of-the-soul-into-the-infinite/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [“The dusk rapidly deepened; the glades grew dark; the crackling of the fire and the wash of little waves along the rocky lake shore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/the-dusk-rapidly-deepened-the-glades-grew-dark-the-crackling-of-the/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [“The psychology of places, for some imaginations at least, is very vivid; for the wanderer, especially, camps have their "note" either of welcome or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/the-psychology-of-places-for-some-imaginations-at-least-is-very-vivid/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [Adventures come to the adventurous, and mysterious things fall in the way of those who, with wonder and imagination, are on the watch for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/adventures-come-to-the-adventurous-and-mysterious-things-fall-in-the/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [“The impulse came to her clairvoyantly, and she obeyed without a sign of hesitation. Deeper comprehension would come to her of the whole awful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/the-impulse-came-to-her-clairvoyantly-and-she-obeyed-without-a-sign/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [“He gave it the benefit of the doubt; he was Scotch. ("The Wendigo")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/he-gave-it-the-benefit-of-the-doubt-he-was-scotch-the-wendigo/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [“You know," he went on almost under his breath, "every man who thinks for himself and feels vividly finds he lives in a world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/you-know-he-went-on-almost-under-his-breath-every-man-who-thinks-for/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [“In spite of his exceeding mental perturbation, Simpson struggled hard to detect its nature, and define it, but the ascertaining of an elusive scent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/in-spite-of-his-exceeding-mental-perturbation-simpson-struggled-hard/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [“She feared long words she did not understand. Beelzebub lay hid among too many syllables.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/she-feared-long-words-she-did-not-understand-beelzebub-lay-hid-among/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [“And it was in that moment of distress and confusion that the whip of terror laid its most nicely calculated lash about his heart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/and-it-was-in-that-moment-of-distress-and-confusion-that-the-whip-of/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

> [The best match in the world will not light a candle unless the wick be first suitably prepared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/the-best-match-in-the-world-will-not-light-a-candle-unless-the-wick/)

[Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

[Explore all 38 Algernon Blackwood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/)

## More Erudition quotes

> [The first principle of solid wisdom is discretion, without it all the erudition of life is merely bagatelle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-macdonald/the-first-principle-of-solid-wisdom-is-discretion-without-it-all-the/)

[Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-macdonald/)

> [If you see your nature, you don't need to read sutras or invoke buddhas. Erudition and knowledge are not only useless but also cloud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/if-you-see-your-nature-you-don-t-need-to-read-sutras-or-invoke/)

[Bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/)

> [Erudition, like a bloodhound, is a charming thing when held firmly in leash, but it is not so attractive when turned loose upon a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/erudition-like-a-bloodhound-is-a-charming-thing-when-held-firmly-in/)

[Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/)

> [When I think of the standing, the importance and the erudition of all these people who see nothing about racism in Heart of Darkness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/when-i-think-of-the-standing-the-importance-and-the-erudition-of-all/)

[Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/)

> [I have respect for mother nature's methods of robustness (billions of years allow most of what is fragile to break); classical thought is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/i-have-respect-for-mother-nature-s-methods-of-robustness-billions-of/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [ Don’t you love quotations? I am immensely fond of them; a certain proof of erudition… \[I\]f you should happen to write an insipid poem...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-brooke/don-t-you-love-quotations-i-am-immensely-fond-of-them-a-certain-proof/)

Frances Brooke

> [“For some people, 'erudition' is nothing more than a vehicle for hostility and arrogance; 'good taste' merely an excuse for condescension--or worse, censorship --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-kimberly/for-some-people-erudition-is-nothing-more-than-a-vehicle-for/)

Alice Kimberly

> [Critics have found in the narrative a veneer of erudition that cloaks nothing more than a James Bond-style romp, albeit a highly addictive one.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/critics-have-found-in-the-narrative-a-veneer-of-erudition-that-cloaks/)

[Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/)

> [You have overburdened your argument with ostentatious erudition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/you-have-overburdened-your-argument-with-ostentatious-erudition/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [Literature has her quacks no less than medicine, and they are divided into two classes; those who have erudition without genius, and those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/literature-has-her-quacks-no-less-than-medicine-and-they-are-divided/)

[Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/)

> [These poems possess intelligence, erudition, gravitas and urgency. Serious and moving in voice and ambition, this passionately lyrical and articulate work reminds me very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoagland/these-poems-possess-intelligence-erudition-gravitas-and-urgency/)

[Tony Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoagland/)

> [Read for yourselves, read for the sake of your inspiration, for the sweet turmoil in your lovely head. But also read against yourselves, read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-zagajewski/read-for-yourselves-read-for-the-sake-of-your-inspiration-for-the/)

[Adam Zagajewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-zagajewski/)

> [Even in an advanced stage of civilization, there is always a tendency to prefer those parts of literature which favor ancient prejudices, rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas-buckle/even-in-an-advanced-stage-of-civilization-there-is-always-a-tendency/)

[Henry Thomas Buckle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas-buckle/)

> [We rarely quote nowadays to appeal to authority... though we quote sometimes to display our sapience and erudition. Some authors we quote against. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ihab-hassan/we-rarely-quote-nowadays-to-appeal-to-authority-though-we-quote/)

[Ihab Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ihab-hassan/)

> [Erudition can produce foliage without bearing fruit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/erudition-can-produce-foliage-without-bearing-fruit/)

[Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/)

[Browse all 54 Erudition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/erudition/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Mrs. Bittarcy rustled ominously, holding her peace meanwhile. She feared long words she did not understand. Beelzebub lay hid among too many syllables. (\"The Man Whom The Trees Loved\")”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Algernon Blackwood"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/mrs-bittarcy-rustled-ominously-holding-her-peace-meanwhile-she-feared/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Erudition"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/mrs-bittarcy-rustled-ominously-holding-her-peace-meanwhile-she-feared/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c4/algernon-blackwood-15571_erudition_mrs-bittarcy-rustled-ominously-holding-h_2239616.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c4/algernon-blackwood-15571_erudition_mrs-bittarcy-rustled-ominously-holding-h_2239616.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c4/algernon-blackwood-15571_erudition_mrs-bittarcy-rustled-ominously-holding-h_2239616.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Mrs. Bittarcy rustled ominously, holding her peace meanwhile. She feared long words she did not understand…” — Algernon Blackwood",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Algernon Blackwood",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Mrs. Bittarcy rustled ominously, holding her...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/mrs-bittarcy-rustled-ominously-holding-her-peace-meanwhile-she-feared/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/mrs-bittarcy-rustled-ominously-holding-her-peace-meanwhile-she-feared/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```