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

Peers of the Realm rejoicing that, except for an unlucky few, they no longer have to listen to boring speeches in the House of Lords until the wee small hours. Instead they can enjoy their traditional pursuits of drinkin', eatin', drinkin', huntin', shootin', fishin' and drinkin' without let or hindrance - until huntin' is banned that is, but it's Christmas so we won't think about that now.

They just found out about lucon!

Yeah, whenever I hear this lyric, I always imagine the British Parliament (or Congress, or whatever you all call it), and suddenly ten people from the House of Lords jump up and start pirouetting out of the room for no apparent reason.

(Sproing) Whee! (Sproing) Whee! (Sproing) Whee!

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Lords-a-leaping was the initial plan for the UK government to get rid of the hererditary peirs AND keep the Countryside chaps happy (sorry non-UK researchers, you have to be here to believe it).

Basically the Lords would be set loose into the country side naked and the rest of the population invited to hunt them down. To add fun they would occasionally be catapulted over hoards of peasents, (sorry ordinary country folk) who would show their appreciation of 1000 years of serfdom (oops sorry again) by shooting at them

Shame realy

Chris

What exactly do lords have to be cheerful about, apart from the abovementioned?

I thought that "lords a-leaping" was just a corruption of "lords sleeping". Their complete lack of activity may have cost them their places in Parliament, but it certainly would have made them easier to wrap...

Well, theres allways that of course.

They get to say things like Toodle Pip!