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

...aka race Kelly - maybe you could even get away with something like that, instead of saying 'amen' ?

Great to see this on the Front Page today.
Alea iacta est, in dubio pro reo, as we'd say in civilised Germany.

Love this: Off-beat, quirky and informative in the best hootoo tradition...

I think James Herriot once wrote about a colleague who was prevailed upon to deliver a Latin grace at a professional beanfeast (an RCVS dinner)

As Glasgow University wasn't especially big on Latin, he was at a disadvantage, but thought quickly and strung together a list of diseases of sheep and corresponding patent nostrums, that when recited with confidence sounded right...

And in the "bless me, Father..." novels about life as a Catholic curate, Neil de Sousa relates having to perform a blessing, with holy water, as a last-ditch attempt to rescusitate a dying budgie belonging to a parishioner.

(James Herriot, on reading this, came back with the occassion one of HIS clients had asked him whether animals have souls and go to Heaven... he noted, drily, that people will approach almost anyone other than the appropriate trade professional for an opinion, so he wasn't surprised he was asked about theology, and the priest was asked to perform a vetinerary service)

Having reservations about performing the full sacrament of the last rites over a cage-bird, de Sousa opened his breviary and found a long Latin prayer used to bless jet airliners on their maiden voyage...
reciting this over the striken budgie, he splashesd a bit of holy water about for theatrical effect, a drop splashed the bird full in the beak, it opened its eyes, chattered indignantly, and hopped back onto its perch with the owner claiming a miracle (and giving a big donation to the parish, which in the mind of Father Duddleswell was the main thing)

Thanks Bel

Thanks AgProv - Great stories.

I must have read that James Herriot at some point - it does sound very familiar.

Icy

Bravo Now *that's* a Guide Entry

Thanks, SWL - much appreciated!

DNA would have approved heartily, and so do I

can you imagine... when I were a lassie at boarding school we had to SING grace in latin, every bloomin' meal. Sundays and when there were visitors we had to sing a long version which went on for ever.

but nobody ever taught us the words - so by the time I got there (about a gazillion years after the school was founded) we all just mumbled something that sounded approximately right.

The first words to both versions were "Benedictus benedicat" but I can only sing either of them after a lot of

oh and there was a short one at the end of the meal too.

excellent entry