Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • C. P. Snow: The pen name of Charles Percy Snow, an English novelist, physicist, and government administrator. He is best known for his series of novels exploring the professional and moral lives of academics and scientists, and for his influential lecture and essay on "The Two Cultures," which discussed the divide between the sciences and the humanities.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The lecture discussed the ideas presented by C. P. Snow in his famous Rede Lecture.
  • Many of C. P. Snow's novels are set in the world of Cambridge University.
  • The concept of "The Two Cultures" was popularized by C. P. Snow.

Advanced Usage

• "Snow's Two Cultures": A common shorthand reference to C. P. Snow's thesis about the lack of communication and mutual understanding between scientists and literary intellectuals.
  • The conference aimed to bridge Snow's Two Cultures by bringing together artists and engineers.

Variants and Related Words

• Charles Percy Snow (n): The full birth name of the individual known as C. P. Snow.
• The Two Cultures (n): The title and central concept of Snow's influential 1959 lecture and subsequent book.

Synonyms

• Author: A writer of a book, article, or report.
• Novelist: A writer of novels.
• Public intellectual: An individual who uses their expertise to contribute to public debate.

Related Phrases

• The Corridors of Power: The title of one of Snow's novels, which entered the language as a phrase denoting the higher levels of government or administration where important decisions are made.
  • He spent his career navigating the corridors of power in Westminster.

Noun

1. English writer of novels about moral dilemmas in academe (1905-1980)