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

[Amy P]

But which James II was it, Icy? The Scottish ones form the 1400s, or the English one form the 1600s?

Choose any king you like, it didn't happen, paulh

A reference I have says:

"The king in question has been variously identified over the centuries as James I or Charles II, but in the earliest known reference to the tale it was Henry VIII who did the dubbing: ‘A Sir-loyne of beef was set before Him (so knighted, saith tradition, by this King Henry)’ (Thomas Fuller, Church-history of Britain, 1655)"

Could the knight of James II be Sir Cumference, famous for inventing a type of pie?

"Choose any king you like, it didn't happen, paulh " [Icy North]

Ouch!

But strangely enough I feel relieved. Whoever it was, I'd have to tip my hat to him if I were wearing one. When a Monarch makes a pun, the rest of us have to clap, don't we?

This is turning out to be more fun than I originally thought, but maybe that's because puns are guilty pleasures for me.

I realised I typed James II, when I meant James I - he was the subject of the story as told by Jonathan Swift, I think.

Yes, and this led me to weird speculations about the Glorious Revolution's connection to the beef industry...

I had heard it was Henry VIII who knighted his joint. Sure they all claim the good stories.

I think I would connect it with Henry VIII - but I don't necessarily believe it. So many sayings are attributed to people after the event, because they fit with the character, or because someone less famous said it first, but it adds substance to the quote if someone more famous is supposed to have said it.

One that I always wonder about is the "I must be more famous than Jesus Christ" saying that has been attributed to Charlie Chaplin but John Lennon got into trouble (some 40 years later) for saying it.

They were both probably right. Where's the blasphemy?

They may have been more popular than Jesus at the time. They're long gone, and Jesus is still popular, though maybe even he has lost popularity since then. Popular opinion can swing pretty widely...

If I remember fhe quotes correctly, they neither of fhem claimed to be more popular even - just more famous. Sorry for derailing the thread. But I think the quiz was finished anyway, wasn't it?

Probably.