Today’s Totally Random
Lines
Go
to the gates of Bordeaux, trumpeter;
Summon
their general unto the wall.
Lord Talbot
King Henry the Sixth
Part I Act IV Scene ii, Line 1
As you can see, the Brits are at the wall of the French town of Bordeaux. When the French general shows up, Talbot tells him to open the gates and surrender or else...
You tempt the fury of my three attendants,
Lean famine, quartering steel, and climbing fire.
Well those are three attendants I wouldn’t want to
mess with.
Unfortunately for Talbot, the French general has
other plans and informs Talbot that the town will not be surrendering. Furthermore,
the main force of the French army is in the process of surrounding Talbot’s
forces right now. Talbot hears the drums of the approaching French armies at
his back, and what is his response?
He fables not.
How’s that for a reply. The guy is about to be
surrounded and, for the record, lose the battle, and his life, and his response
is, He fables not.
I mean, the
British ability to understate, and then in other cases overstate, is fabulous.
Examples:
The unarmed Brit is facing a half dozen guys with
knives who want to kill him. Well this is
a it a of a sticky wicket.
The Brit is told that they’re out of his favorite
tea at the cafe. Well that’s bloody awful!
How can you not love Brit-speak. I’m definitely
going to be using this new one if I can remember it. I fable not.
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