The Annotated Pratchett File, v9.0 - The L-Space Web

The Annotated Pratchett File
vixens caring for their sprogs were aired; this made the
programme (which was narrated by David Attenborough)
very famous. The Archchancellor’s rant is a very good
approximation of a David Attenborough wildlife
programme narration. And according to the Foxwatch
myth, foxes knock over dustbins.
– [ p. 117/107 ] “ ‘Did you suggest a working party’, said
Wonse.”
It is British Government Policy to suggest a working party
whenever an intractable problem presents itself. It is
usually stocked with opposition MPs.
– [ p. 118/108 ] “Once you’ve ruled out the impossible
then whatever is left, however improbable, must be the
truth. [. . . ] There was also the curious incident of the
orangutan in the night-time . . . ”
Two Sherlock Holmes references for the price of one. The
original quotes are “It is an old maxim of mine that when
you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains,
however improbable, must be the truth” from The
Adventure of the Beryl Coronet, and “[. . . ] the curious
incident of the dog at nighttime” in Silver Blaze.
The second reference also reminds me, in a very
roundabout way, of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Murders in the
Rue Morgue.
– [ p. 120/110 ] “[. . . ] as ghastly an array of faces as ever
were seen outside a woodcut about the evils of
gin-drinking [. . . ]”
The reference here is to the famous series of 18th century
morality woodcuts by William Hogarth, with names like
“Gin Lane” and “Beer Street”.
– [ p. 126/115 ] “ ‘Dunno where this place is, Captain. It
belongs to some posh bint.’ ”
This is very British slang. Posh, meaning upper class,
arises from the days of the Empire. It is an acronym,
standing for ‘Port Out, Starboard Home’. These were the
most pleasant (least hot) cabins on the ships sailing to
the jewel in the crown, India, and therefore the most
expensive, meaning that only the aristocracy could afford
them.
(The above explanation is in fact quite false — that is, it’s
true that posh means upper class, but the acronym is one
of these persistent, oh so plausible, after-the-fact
etymologies, which are nearly always wrong.)
‘Bint’ arises as a bit of cockney soldier slang in WWII. It
is actually Arabic for ‘young girl’. Many British soldiers
were stationed in Alexandria, Egypt, in North Africa, and
this word was brought into the language by them.
– [ p. 134/122 ] “ ‘So I’m letting you have a place in
Pseudopolis Yard.’ ”
The Watch’s second base, affectionately called ‘The Yard’,
is a reference to Scotland Yard, where the British Police
Headquarters used to be located (these days, they have
moved to New Scotland Yard).
– [ p. 136/124 ] “This is Lord Mountjoy Quickfang
Winterforth IV, the hottest dragon in the city. It could
burn your head clean off.”
Vimes replays here one of the best-known scenes in Clint
Eastwood’s first ‘Dirty Harry’ movie, the 1971 Dirty
Harry.
“Aha! I know what you’re thinking. . . Did I fire six shots
or only five To tell you the truth, I forgot it myself in all
this excitement. This here’s a .44 Magnum, the most
powerful handgun in the world, and it can blow your head
clean off. Now, you must ask yourself one question: “Do I
feel lucky” Well, do you, punk”
Note how nicely Winterforth the fourth corresponds to
the caliber of the Magnum.
– [ p. 143/130 ] “ ‘’E’s plain clothes, ma’am,’ said Nobby
smartly. ‘Special Ape Services’.”
Special Ape Services shares the acronym SAS with the
crack British troops who are sent to storm embassies,
shoot prisoners of war, and execute alleged terrorists
before anything has been proven by trial, etc. Not that
one wants to get political, mind you.
– [ p. 156/141 ] “ ‘Ah. Kings can cure that, you know,’ said
another protomonarchist knowingly.”
See the annotation for p. 103/76 of Lords and Ladies.
– [ p. 162/147 ] “[. . . ] and stepped out into the naked
city.”
The Naked City was an American TV cop show in the 50s,
mostly forgotten today, except for its prologue narration:
“There are eight million stories in the naked city. This is
one of them.”
– [ p. 164/149 ] “There are some songs which are never
sung sober. ‘Nellie Dean’ is one. So is any song beginning
‘As I was a walking. . . ’ ”
‘Nellie Dean’ is an old music hall song:
There’s an old mill by the stream
Nellie Dean.
Where we used to sit and dream
Nellie Dean.
For an explanation of songs beginning ‘As I was a
walking. . . ’ see the annotation for p. 313/238 of Men at
Arms.
– [ p. 200/181 ] “ ‘This is love-in-a-canoe coffee if ever I
tasted it.’ ”
This refers to the punchline of the old joke (familiar from,
for instance, a Monty Python sketch):
Q: What do American beer and making love in a
canoe have in common
A: They’re both fucking close to water.
– [ p. 200/182 ] “ ‘He’s called Rex Vivat.’ ”
Rex Vivat, of course, means: “long live the king”. This
reminds me a bit of Robert Rankin, who named his lead
character in They Came And Ate Us Rex Mundi. Rex’s
sister has a role in the book too. Her name is Gloria.
Now you may begin to understand why Rankin is so often
discussed on alt.fan.pratchett, and why there is so
much overlap between his and Terry’s audiences.
– [ p. 236/214 ] “ ‘The Duke of Sto Helit is looking for a
guard captain, I’m sure.’ ”
The Duke of Sto Helit, in case anyone had forgotten, is
38 DISCWORLD ANNOTATIONS