Ruritania

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I recently read the Prisoner of Zenda in a hope to to discover what people mean when they say somehting is Ruritanian. It came up in a frauniad article today and i still don't understand. Someone slake my ignorant curiosity.

― Ed, Thursday, 27 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

i think it means idiotic cake-icing royalty as attached to tiny insignif balkan princedom (cf syldavia in tintin), where tradition is just darling, and the peasants all adore the new queen

― mark s, Thursday, 27 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Re Syldavia - there is an Ottokar's restaurant in London. I wonder if you give them the right handshake they will send an urgent telegram to KLOW.

― Tom, Thursday, 27 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

where tradition is just darling, and the peasants all adore the new queen

Insert clearly-intended joke about Diana here.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 27 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

in the prisoner of zenda AND in rupert of hentzau, [writer] used the same device, a trio of hand-picked swordsmen gatherered from all Europe, eevil, yet also masterful duelling gentlemen etc etc: but A DIFFERENT TRIO IN EACH BOOK (presumably largely because rassendyl despatched the first trio in the first book)

anyway i used to know the names of all six: but can now only remember De Gautet

I googlin i shall go (by the whiskers of Kurvi Tasch) (sp)

― mark s, Thursday, 27 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

(De Gautet, Detchard and Bersonin: but the hentzau trio eludes me still)

― mark s, Thursday, 27 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

I'll tell you when I've finished it.

― Ed, Thursday, 27 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

If you know not of GURLS (and I still don't), then 1950s Ruritanian girls' comic stories could still be decent wank-fodder for teenage me. If you know how young I am that's even more frightening.

― Robin Carmody, Friday, 28 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

two years pass...

Yes, Ruritania is alive and well. In fact, I've written a feature length screenplay "FROGS & LOVERS" that all takes place in that wonderful land. If anyone would care to read it (or better yet -- produce it!) -- let me know.

― Craig Calman, Saturday, 8 November 2003 22:00 (twenty-two years ago)

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