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-four 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-four 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-four 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-four 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-four years ago)

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

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

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

Ed, Thursday, 27 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four 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-four 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.

CC

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


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