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

What connects:

A 19th-century Russian diplomat
An Irish defeater of the French
A French writer of romantic novels
A knight of King James II

Could they all have had African ancestors?

Doesn't everybody alive today have African ancestors?

Not that, Dmitri

Your French novelist was Dumas, I'm guessing - it's not him.

I can't spend much time on this, as I have a lot of other tbings to do, but one approach that seems to have some merit is the name Alexander.

Alexandre Dumas Pere was a French 19th Century romantic novelist.
There was a 19th century Russian diplomat named Alexei, a name which is probably short for Alexander

"Sir Alexander Livingston of Callendar, a man of transcendent ability and far-reaching ambition, left his mark deeply on the Scottish history of his time. He was the favourite counsellor of James I (of Scotland), after whose death he acted as guardian to the young King James II during his minority, and, in that capacity was for some time the virtual ruler of Scotland." [Wikipedia]
He was a :"sir," which implies that he was a Knight.

The Irish warrior against the Russians will take some time.

The only other well-known possibility is Victor, as in Victor Hugo, the author of "Les Miserables." There might have been Russian diplomats named Victor, or Knights of James II by that name. Chances are, someone else who has the intellect of a Mensan and the necessary time will get this solved before I get a chance.....

Or, one or more of these categories is represented by someone too obscure to occur to any of us....

Ah, not Dumas, then. Back to the drawing board...

If I've helped you rule out one of the possibilities, then you'll remember me when you're rich and famous, won't you?

Is it culinary? Did they all have food named after them, like Beef Wellington and Nesselrode pie? Can't figure out the other two, though.

You've actually stumbled on the correct answer, Dmitri!

Beef Wellington is correct - for the Irish-born guy who defeated the French.

I'll leave you to find the other three - it shouldn't take you long

I think I can find two:

A 19th-century Russian diplomat: Stroganoff
A French writer of romantic novels: Jules Verne?

stroganov is correct, but not Verne.

The writer's more obscure - maybe start with the food.

Okay, if we stick with beef, it could be Chateaubriand...

Correct

You've got me on James II, because I know you wouldn't be referring to that false etymology of 'sirloin'...so I give up.

Brandy Alexander would honor Dumas Pere, or perhaps some Russian diplomat..but, no, it was named after an Aklexader at Rector's a place in New York.

It's not clear whether James II is the Scottish one from the 1400s, or the English one from the 1600s. I can find lists of knights for the earlier one, but what good does that do if he's the wrong guy?

Some more possibilities:


Omelette André Theuriet – named after the French novelist and poet André Theuriet (1833–1907)

Soufflé Rothschild – a dessert soufflé created for Baron James Mayer de Rothschild (1792–1868), who is listed as a French diplomat, but what country was he sent to? If Russia, one might call him a Russian diplomat, i.e. diplomat to Russia...

The Earl of Sandwich was present at the coronation of James II of England. Granted, it was a later earl of Sandwich for which the sandwich was named, but might the two be connected? Did james II create the Earlcy of Sandwich or restore it to its former position?

And what is wrong with a false etymology of sirloin, I might ask?

OK, I couldn't think of a better beefy eponym

I think you scored all available points, Dmitri.

And you can have peach Melba for afters.