Via Incoming Signals I discovered an archive of scripts for the British sketch comedy show "A Bit of Fry and Laurie." As an aficionado of the Higher Lower British Humor, I was delighted, but didn't expect it to be LH material—until my wife drew my attention to "Gordon and Stuart eat Greek." If you have some acquaintance with Greek, either Ancient or Modern, you will enjoy this little scene.
If you don't know Ancient Greek, the bit about the word "genoymeen" will zip right past you, so I'll explain that it's an old-style Brit pronunciation of γενοιμην, an optative form meaning 'may I be' or 'that I might be' that was so familiar to those who partook of an old-school classical education that Rupert Brooke could insert it into an English poem, "The Old Vicarage, Grantchester," which is online in many places but apparently only here with the Greek bit in actual Greek:
ειθε γενοιμην . . . would I were
In Grantchester, in Grantchester!
You mean that retsina isn't made by fermenting lumber?
Posted by: John Emerson at July 16, 2005 09:22 PMOh, I found that a while ago, while searching for the sketch "European Deal", which I think might also interest you.
Posted by: Tim May at July 16, 2005 09:42 PMHeh. Thanks much!
Posted by: language hat at July 17, 2005 07:26 AMI still don't understand how Hugh Laurie went from here to starring in "House" - does his Scottish accent come through in that series?
Posted by: Glyn at July 17, 2005 10:53 AMLovely, Steve. An almost bottomish scene, one might say.
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Posted by: mark at July 17, 2005 12:46 PMLovely, Steve. An almost bottomish scene, one might say.
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Posted by: mark at July 17, 2005 12:46 PMHugh Laurie's American accent is honed to perfection. In fact, Bryan Singer, director of The Usual Suspects, X-Men, etc, and producer of the series, had no idea that Laurie was British when he heard him in audition.
I do hope he gets the Emmy for which he's been nominated, although I'm rather torn as Ian McShane is up for one too. (But didn't he get one last year, in which case - you go, Hugh!)
And all this time I thought "genoymeen" was just funny-sounding nonsense.
Posted by: Matt at July 18, 2005 02:47 AMMay we have breathings and accents on ειθε γενοιμην, please? Sadistic of me to ask, I know. I suspect that ειθε is paroxytone and γενοιμην is properispomenon but those are total guesses.
Posted by: Graham Asher at July 18, 2005 04:32 PMIt's είθε γενοίμην. (Er, if that doesn't come out right, it's acute accents on both iotas. There should be a smooth breathing on the first but I'm too lazy to figure out how to do that.)
Posted by: language hat at July 18, 2005 06:02 PM