Posted by Peter H on December 05, 2008 at 17:05:11 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Felixstowe Dock, RIP posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on December 05, 2008 at 15:18:38:
“Latin? . . . This is the rummest go I ever struck.” (Missee Lee)
Andrew’s welcome use of Latin takes me back . . .oh, about 7 or 8 years, on Tarboard, to a time when a group of us kept on posting up Latin tags and phrases in a giggly sort of way. Eventually, another Tarboarder protested angrily, accusing us of “needless displays of erudition”. I am sure the Tarboarder in question won’t mind me identifying him – it was Ed K.
In hindsight, all these years later, I reckon that Ed had a fair point. At that time, ‘cod Latin’ was the equivalent of ‘Beckfoot plumbing’ – a joke that had maybe outstayed its welcome. Ed was criticised then, but I can see now that in the long term he was right. I hardly need to point out the parallel today. I hope Ed can now understand my protest about too much 'plumbing', just as I understand his protest about too much jokey Latin.
“It is a bargain. Quid plo quo.”