[Beroean] Another Bourbon Sir?

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Thread Last Poster Posts Pages Last Post Archive through January 25, 2005 Simon Downham 22  1  1-25-05  11:44 pm Archive through January 26, 2005 Simon Downham 22  1  1-26-05  12:27 am Archive through January 26, 2005 Simon Downham 22  1  1-26-05  9:37 pm Archive through January 27, 2005 Dref 22  1  1-27-05  5:26 pm   Closed: New threads not accepted on this page

Author Message Simon Downham (Beroean) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 5:31 pm:        Was the man's name Randy? No Bear in mind that this is a real person and the scenario is also an incident that really happened. David Burn (Woubit) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 5:33 pm:        Does this phrase involve the man's first name? or his surname? Simon Downham (Beroean) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 5:34 pm:        Does this phrase involve the man's first name? or his surname? It involves both! Dref (Dref) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 5:35 pm:        Simon says? ;) Simon Downham (Beroean) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 5:37 pm:        Simon says? No Dref (Dref) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 5:41 pm:        Jiminey Crickets? Simon Downham (Beroean) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 5:42 pm:        Jiminey Crickets No but another great effort! David and yourself both have the right idea Arjun Rangarajan (Jun) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 5:44 pm:        Did the expression involve a contraction of his first name? Hope he wasn't Richard Waters Simon Downham (Beroean) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 5:47 pm:        Did the expression involve a contraction of his first name? No it was his first name and surname exactly as they are Hope he wasn't Richard Waters Another brilliant effort Score David 5 bonus points Fred 5 bonus points Arjun 5 bonus points Arjun Rangarajan (Jun) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 5:58 pm:        Corr, Blimey? David Burn (Woubit) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 5:59 pm:        Gordon Bennett? Lynne (Lynne) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 6:51 pm:        If it was uttered by Jo March then it would be "Christopher Columbus!" Simon Downham (Beroean) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 8:48 pm:        Well done David it is "Gordon Bennett" A special mention to Alizon & Arjon for setting the pace. Spoiler coming up Simon Downham (Beroean) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 9:00 pm:        *************** SPOILER **************** The phrase "Gordon Bennett" is an expletive that is used as an utterance of dismay. In looking up the origins of the expletive we see that the term may well have derived from a person of that very name and that he did cause a great deal of dismay among his contemporaries. Indeed, one of the incidents that he has become infamous for is that of urinating in the fire place (see notes below). Apparently this has been registered in the Guiness Book of Records for the "Greatest Engagement Faux Pas". So it’s perhaps not surprising that his name become well-known, well enough that he should have become a byword, helped by his eccentric and boorish ways (he is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records under “Greatest Engagement Faux Pas” for having his engagement to Caroline May broken off in 1877 after he arrived late and drunk at the May family’s New York mansion and urinated in the living room fireplace in front of his hosts). Gordon Bennett 1 Gordon Bennett 2 Dref (Dref) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 9:22 pm:        Wow, you learn something new every day! I must admit I was not familar with the man or the phrase. Interesting puzzle. Alizon (Alizon) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 9:35 pm:        Great story and great puzzle. Thank you, Simon! Simon Downham (Beroean) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 9:50 pm:        So Alizon, even though you don't have a firepalece, have you ever uttered the expletive, "Gordon Bennett"? And have you David and Lynne? And indeed, has anyone else? Have our American cousins and those in Europe and Australasia heard of the expression "Gordon Bennett"? Tim A. Dowd (Bodo) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 9:54 pm:        I haven't heard it before, for what it's worth. Lynne (Lynne) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 10:17 pm:        Yes I have, but I always thought that it was another way of saying gawd / god in a less obvious way. David Burn (Woubit) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 10:41 pm:        I have indeed used "Gordon Bennett" more than once, but I am an old fogey who also uses "Great Scott". The story of the origin of the use of the phrase as an expletive is conjectural at best - but it is a good story, and made a good puzzle Arjun Rangarajan (Jun) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 10:51 pm:        "Gordon Bennett" does seem familiar, but I haven't heard anyone use it. Nice puzzle, Simon Alizon (Alizon) Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 11:18 pm:        I am afraid I haven't used it, though it seems familiar to me as well. Anyway, whenever I hear it from now on, I will imagine the outrageous fiancé doing... well, you-know-what. Damien Sullivan (Docd) Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 9:59 am:        Speaking for my fellow Australasians, I can't say I've ever heard the expression. But what a funny story Tommy Petersson (Tommyp) Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 9:47 pm:        I never met the chap.