Here's a recipe that's sure to make you bristle. Take one part sulfuric acid, one part metal and eight parts sand. Heat at the end of a blow tube, or visit Venice on your next vacation.
V is for vitriol as in "If my a** is glass, you're a figurine."
The possibilities for vitriol are kaleidoscopic. If I want to assault someone with "white noise", I use zinc sulfate in the recipe. How about going on a "green washing" tirade, use iron sulfate as the caustic ingredient. If I want now to rail against ungodly activities on Sunday, I'll look to copper sulfate as my catalyst.
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The point (for those a little slow on the uptake regarding the definition) is that vitriol is colorful language. You may have heard of Don Rickles who made vitriol a comedic artform. Unfortunately, this artform is often blown out of proportion by one or another party to it.
At such times, it's helpful to think of Alfred North Whitehead who is quoted as saying, "Spoken language is merely a series of squeaks." Squeaks like you get when polishing sulfated glass and remembering that those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
