h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Another popular export, other than phlegm, could be described as Ian. He is tall, blond, maniacal with a balaclava, and an apprentice knife-thrower.

Thanks. Now everybody's slowly edging away for me and changing the topic of conversation.

Hey! The rules of h2g2 specifically said no spitting!

Oops, that's a very good point.
That rule could be seen as a bit racist, though, because it means nobody can speak Welsh on H2G2

Or indeed Klingon...
That reminds me, I didn't bring my "Learn to speak Klingon" tapes to uni. As Ian would say "pants!"

*Ian is getting very worried about Bluebottle...*

Why? What's wrong - they were a present. Very amusing, and very useless... Very good at practicing Welsh, though...

As a welshman (who, by the way doesnt speak Welsh), I find these types of comments about another nation's language insulting, patronising and jingoistic. There is no trace of humour in any of these postings. Do not try to advise people how to pronounce Welsh placenames until you have taken advise yourself from a native speaker.

*Didn't mean to offend anyone and is part-Welsh himself*

<BB<

We too have that world in the Breton language, with the spelling "boulc'h" and the same pronounciation as Welsh Bwlch. So I sympathize with Welsh people who feel offended by certain jokes . For us, it means "breach"/"gap"/"cut"/"notch", thus "pass" makes sense. A common family name in Western Brittany is Boulc'h or Le Boulc'h (with the Breton article translated into French and French people pronouncing it "Bulsh"). It could suggest somebody who had a cleft lip (harelip). And, of course, you know that the genuine name of Excalibur is Caledfwlch (Kaletvoulc'h for us), which means Hard Cut...

I meant "word", of course...

you don't see many shops in cardiff called 'Bwlch'