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

And then there's Reggie Perrin, famous for making the imperial, majestic Worcestershire Sauce.

Yeah, and Reg Halsworth from Coronation Street, a right weirdo too, playing at being a little dictator at the Better-Buys Supermarket he managed.
Reg, Reggie and Reginald are all names that have a slightly buffoonish value in modern writing/TV.

Sorry for the headaches plaguesville, but I'm glad to see you got your head round it and hope it was worth it. A change from your REGular REGime.
And thanks for Reginald Perrin! Lordy! I confess that he had slipped into a dark corner of my mind. Partly because I really enjoyed the series for two years and it ended with the promise of more but...
I loved that show and hated the way it ended, for me, here, anyway.
I particularly remember one episode (and phrase) "Rising Damp".

Wasn't there a Reginald in Rumpole, one of the imperious partners I believe?

Beware - spanner coming in from left field.
'real' once meant the same as regal, but being earlier French than 'royal', has diverged further. Reg- may have the consolation of coming from an older family (Latin) than the jumped -up Frenchman, Roy.

As seen in the Spanish football team "Real Madrid".

Other famous Reg-es: Elton John, whose real name is ... Reginald Dwight?

Other unpleasant reg-es: regularity. Something I dislike. Although if it applies to bowel movements I suppose it could be quite practical. regalia. Regaining weight!

Is "Roy's of Wroxham" as legendary in anyone else's family as it is in ours`?

No but Roy of the Rovers is

You also have Real Tenis which is something that royalty play along with polo.

I now have the image of Prince Charles on a polo horse, waving a mallet and charging around a Real Tennis Court. Thankyou for that

Munchkin - your mum doesn't need to be royal, anyway - she's got a Doc in the family

While we're on this subject, how did 'royalty' get the additional meaning of the money I'm going to get paid when he make a film about my life?

Hmm, I'm sure I typed 'they'!

No idea about royalties, but on the subject of my mum, I think I'll take that as a compliment, although I'm not sure how my mum would go about waving doctorally, unless she was wearing latex gloves

"has Livzy been around here before?"

What?

Have you been living in a cave for the past two years or so?

and my Regal vs Royal comment will make sense to anyone who lives this side of the Pond and smokes.

Doh!

why do I bother?

I'm off to the haiku challenge for some semi-literate postings...

Anyone who smokes either Regal or Royal is unlikley to be allowed to use the internet really.

.........whatever.........

The use of "royalty" to mean a payment comes from the fact that Royalty had exclusive right to grant to individauls or companies the right to exploit certain resources - for a payment. This payment was therefore known as the "Royalty".

Er, I'm slightly confused. Which is not unusual, as I can only aspire to being semi-literate. Perhaps I might make hemi-demi-semi-literate if I try hard.

Livzy, though I may come from the 'wrong' side of the water, I did get your joke about Regals and Royals.

Kaeori wins the "Not a dopey Septic" prize.

Congradulatshiuns.

Have a big fat and several

I imagine Reg comes from the Latin Rex.
As in Tyrannosaurus Reg.

Speaking of the French, does 'normal' come from Norman.
If so, is it an early example of anglo-saxon irony?
(see SNAFU)


*hoping this doesn't double post*

In the days when it was normal to go round with your head tilted back, so that your nose piece protected your nose rather than jabbing into your chin, perhaps.But alas, the only connection is that they appear together in the dictionary, normal from the Latin normalis, which meant regulated by a carpenter's square and Norman from the Norse for Northman (possibly the original Norman was named Arthur, since "Other taelde his hlaforde Aelfred Kyning thaet he of ealle menne tha northmost bude.")

Er, am I supposed to be reading this with a fish in my ear?

That's Anglo-Saxon (Old English) that is. But I don't understand it. Does it mean "Uther told his lord Alfred the King that he of all men the northmost lived"?