Thursday, November 03, 2005

The title of my blog..

When I first started blogging, there were mixed reactions about the title of my blog. Some thought I couldn't come up with anything else. Others thought I was trying to be pompous. A few credited me with a little more 'thinking' and asked me what my title meant. Their questions ranged from "respect to whom or what?" to "why greatest possible"? "with respect" would do if you want to be polite and courteous and state that you respect the views of your readers.

Though politeness and courtesy are important to me, they are NOT the reason behind this title.

To cut a long story short, the title has been picked from the "Yes Minister" series which I talked about here and here. However, I am not yet willing to spell out the context in which the phrase has been used.. After all, I have waited four months hoping that someone as great a fan of that book as I, would come by and spot that term immediately.. I can wait a little longer. A 50$ prize to the first person who discovers the context.. And I'm not KIDDING. :D

Clue 1: I guess I WAS trying to be a little pompous.. ;-)

Clue 2: The underlying theme of most of my posts (atleast until date)..

14 comments:

Camphor said...

Yes Minister? *goes to dig up her book* Or maybe I'll just ask Mom.

*suspicious look* And how exactly are you getting the $50 to me? ;) If I do get here ahead of the hoard that will shortly descend to trample you in order to get thier hands on that grubby little note, that is.

Leon said...

Well I have a copy here and there's one in my house back home but since I can't get them to you, I guess you will have to go to a library and pick one up.. Knowing college libraries in Chennai, I'd be very surprised if your college had a copy.. So I'd suggest the British library..

Or better still go to Landmark and buy one.. (I've seen copies displayed in both Spencer's and Nungambakkam).. Believe me it's worth it! :p

Also, I'll have you know that 50$ could buy dinner for two at The Residency Towers AND The Park Sheraton. Grubby little note indeed... grrr..

As for getting the money to you.. Trust me.. In this day and age a simple wire transfer or a paypal exchange would do the trick without you having to lose your cloak of anonymity.. :p

N said...

Sir Humphrey says," With the greatest possible respect" and Jim exclaims that Humphrey is going to insult him again.

Leon said...

Wow.. We have a winner!!! :-)

Care to elaborate? (Don't worry.. you've won the prize.. It's just that a couple of lines before and a couple of lines after would help the readers get the context too..)

Did you just pull that out of your head or did you look up the book?

Camphor said...

wow, neon, I just found it too! Unfair. :P

Leon ~ I'll have you know that I own that, and Yes Prime Minister too. Oh, all right, mom owns both of them.

I read the book yesterday. As usual, gales of laughter, and my beloved GPs (grandparents) were very satisfied. From laughing at screen(very unhealthy), I'd gone back to laughing at books, something they have been used to for the past.. I don't know.. 10 years?

As for the dinner. Ha. Hell will freeze over and little angles will ice skate over it before I ever go out to dinner. Now tell me how many books that will buy, and I'll have stars in my eyes. So yes, grubbly little note. BUT, whoever said that grubby little notes were not cherished?

Leon said...

You ARE a little late.. but given that you dug that book out and read it after my post.. I'm touched.. :-)

And from the 'gales of laughter' I presume you like it. I'm glad. If you are the kind that sort of feels sorry for Hacker(I am).. then you'd like 'Yes Prime Minister' even better..

As for dinner, is that how YOU feel abt it or is this one of the standard parental restrictions? :p.. Your analogy reminded me of HFO.. is it still open? :D

Hopefully Neon has nothing against going out for dinner.. lol.

PS: Btw, I would like to bring one more fact to your notice. Hell froze over at 2359 hrs Indian Standard Time on 4th November and 79 little angels ice skated over it. You are now free to go out to dinner... :D

N said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
N said...

I had actually read the Indian version of Yes Miniter, "Ji Mantriji" but I had seen the British TV series on DVD. I knew that if I waited for my sister to come back from college and ask her about the context of the line, I would lose that "grubby little note". So I used the net and figured it out.

Leon said...

Deleting comments won't help dude.. I get them in my gmail account.. :D.. Perhaps you did not want 'someone' to even accidentally read the first line you typed out.. ;-)

Camphor said...

Eh, I had to read it anyway. Being a Wodehouse and Douglas Admas fan, Yes Minister just HAD to be somewhere on my 'to read' list. :D And I finsihed Yes Prime Minster as well. Thank God mom is away and does not know I have borrowed her books for a couple of months without tellign her. :)


dinner: one of the standard parental restrictions

HFO is still open. They've closed and opened it n number of times, but last I checked (that would eb a fortnigth back) it was open. Needless to say, I've never been there.

:P How sweet of you! As soon a sI find a bakra... err.. partner...

Now, if only you could tell me how many naked angles can dance on the head of a pin, that would answer the Question of Life. :P

Leon said...

Hmm.. Personally I think many "Wodehouses" and the "Yes Minister" series are funnier than "The Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy." But then maybe that's just me.. And err is your Mom very possessive about her books.. :p..

Poor you.. But my parents would prob feel the same way about my sis.. It's an unfair world isn't it?.. hehe.. ;-).

The question is easily answered. None. Why would they want to dance on the head of a pin anyway, when clubs in Las Vegas would welcome them with open arms. (I think you meant angels, but since you said angles both times, I'm not sure..???)

Btw, what according to you IS the question of life? :p

Camphor said...

Personally I think many "Wodehouses" and the "Yes Minister" series are funnier than "The Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy." I agree, actually. :D Poor them who live life thinking Wodehouse is a drab writer.

My mom is possesive about only one pair of books. Everything else she'll give pretty easily (I don't ask) - but this has a lot of senti value, plus entertainment value too. :)

You are a curious person, aren't you?

I meant angels. In case you haven't noticed, I have a huge problem with my spellings, but those are typos usually. I'm not used to the keyboard changing everyday [blah blah insert excuses here] And why would I want angles to dance on the head of a pin?

You think angels would go to clubs in LV?

I'll tell you the question of life someday, if you ask me really nicely. :P

Leon said...

Wow.. Me thinks your mom and I would get along fine.. I'll overlook everything else if someone treats the "yes minister" series with that kind of respect.. hehe.

Yes.. Yes.. I'm very curious.. When I first landed in the US last year, my seniors were totally frustrated with my whys', hows' and whats'.. :D... You're not very far behind.. don't you think? :p

Well, they might if the only other choice they were given was to dance on the head of pin by a 'heartless' person like you.. :D. Wouldn't you think it would be painful? Perhaps you need to try it first?

Does "really nicely" mean the question has to be accompanied with "flowers" and "chocolates" or did you have something else in mind? :p

Camphor said...

My mom shall be directed to your blog.:)

You know, I don't ask many questions. I don't really. :P

Why would you think that I do?
:D

You had decent seniors in college?

You actually think someone whould dance on the head of a pin?

It's totally painless, it's a smooth surface, (the head of a pin is flattened or rounded) and you think I'm heartless? *sob* :P

Nah, really nicely means really nicely, not bribes!!
[Although I've never been known to refuse chocolate. ;)]