In a message dated 18/12/2004 18:57:20 GMT Standard Time, chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu writes:

Dear List,

A friend recently made the offhand comment that Vladimir Nabokov, though a
master of the English language, never observed the difference between
"supine" and "prostrate". He didn't have any examples to cite.
Any responses from the list to this charge?

yours,
Mike Stauss <jameselcoco@hotmail.com>

I suggest your friend studies the first chapter of "Despair", where examples of "supine" and "prone" (used of Felix), though not "prostrate", are found. Brian Boyd is obviously right that VN was a master of English who would not muddle the uses of these three words.

Anthony Stadlen