[LMB] 2 questions, one Vorkosigan, one list-related

[Peter H. Granzeau]

At 08:50 AM 5/5/2007, Lois McMaster Bujold wrote:
>[LMB] 2 questions, one Vorkosigan, one list-related
>Dan Tilque dtilque at nwlink.com
>Sat May 5 08:22:52 BST 2007
>
>The name Vorkosigan Sousleau is a joke, a bilingual pun. Made by
>Count Vortala.
>
>First note that Surleau is French for "on the water". Well,
>actually the French would be spelled "sur l'eau", but the
>spelling of the village name has obviously been modified a bit
>over the centuries. Going by the same spelling mod, Sousleau
>means "under the water". The pun comes from equating French
>'sous' with English 'souse'. The "Aral's honor" part is a
>reference to his drinking, of course.
>
>--
>Dan Tilque
>
>
>
>*** A bilingual pun, but it only secondarily refers to Aral's drinking.
>It mostly refers to Aral's sailing.  Note the context of the scene, Aral
>laying the sails of his small boat out on the grass to dry.  Then think
>about how they got that way...
>
>Although I suppose I really shouldn't have expected the bulk of the
>readership, who likely don't have small boat sailing experience, to have
>gotten that one.  Hm.
>
>Ta, L.

Once upon a time 30 or more years ago, I took a course in small boat 
sailing.  I don't think I would have used the term "souse" to explain 
how the sails got that way, I would have thought "overturned".  Which 
doesn't make of any kind of pun on "Surleau" at all, of course.


-- 
Regards, Pete
pgranzeau at cox.net