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

Of what singular crime is Thomas Wirgham the only defendant ever accused, let alone convicted, in all English legal history?

Painting the roses red?

There was also that little girlie name of
Alice, but she was acquitted.


~jwf~

Ah now - there is, funnily enough, a connection to Lewis Carol and Alice in Wonderland which could earn thee a QI Bonus, but it's rather tangental to question under examination in that the relationship concerns the friend of a friend...

But an inspired thought, nonetheless ...

Two answers spring to mind....

Regicide...'Murder of a Monarch' also called 'Praemonurae', though a number of them have been 'killed' without the perpetrator brought to justice..

The other is 'Attempted Suicide' which was once a crime....



GT

Oh dear GT

Murder -5

oh dear me, no - nothing quite so serious as that.

It's not suicide either, but hold onto that thought - it might come in useful in one of my other threads.

S*d off, Clive......

Guiness Book of Records, 1964. Least common crime - Praimonurae.





GT

Ah - textual evidence - in which case then.

QI Bonus GT, +6

Making a net score or +1, thus far.

NB.

I should probably make clear it is the specificity of the crime that makes it unique rather than the category of missbehaviour to which it belongs (and for which Murder was klaxoned albeit that murder of a particular types, as GT just proved, are extremely rare)

Clive!!

Another rare crime (Capital, i.e you lose your life if convicted)

is 'Arson in his/her Naval Dockyards'

No klaxon please, Clive!!



GT

>> Praimonurae. <<

Either google's not working today or someone's making stuff up.
I mean, 'the great all-knowing Goog' didn't even have any 'suggestions'. Which makes Clive's apparent understanding of it all the more suspect.


~jwf~

Try Praeimonurae

But then I have to admit I'd never heard of:
"Human-kleptoparasitism" - the stealing of food and resources from another animal or individual. I knew it happened but didn't know it had a name beyond theft or scavenging.

Yes this is from another thread, but it's from Clive and it's quite interesting.

"There is now speculation the ancient man may have supplemented his diet through opportunistic snatching of fresh kills."

I have long speculated that this is how man became a carnivore. We really didn't evolve the teeth or claws needed to be meat eaters, so we musta learned it by stealing left-overs once all the big critters left their kill for the smaller beasties to pick at.


~jwf~

Tried it.

>> No standard web pages containing all your search terms were found.
Your search - Praeimonurae - did not match any documents. <<


~j~

~jwf~

Feel your teeth with your tongue...

The pointy ones to the left and right of the inscisors (cutting teeth).

They are your canines, designed to rip flesh.

Take it or leave it. Man is a carnivore.



GT

I must confess I'd always thought the execution (legal or otherwise) of a monarch was a 'regicide', but regardless it's beside the point really.

?>?>?>?

Try Praemonurae

It's not arson, which isn't a klaxon either.

Would you like a clue?

If you would be so kind..........






GT

on the issue before us the closest I can find

praenomen - which means a first name.

So possibly GT, you're misreading your book but I don't intend to pursue the matter.


a clue? a clue....

Genesis 3:10

Conspiracy to murder the Prime Minister?

He wasn't Percival's assassin but did he help him out - supply the pistol or something?