r/Wodehouse • u/EndersGame_Reviewer • 13d ago

"Rather a good name for a burglar"

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From the P.G. Wodehouse novel "Spring Fever"

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2

u/catsandcabbages 13d ago

Bahahaha. Thanks for the rare Wodehouse I haven’t read yet

3

u/EndersGame_Reviewer 13d ago

It's a pretty fun ride; I read it in a single sitting earlier this week. There's a number of imposters (no surprise there), so I jotted down some notes about who was who as I read through it, and that helped make it a positive reading experience.

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u/smcicr 13d ago

r/discworld

I always enjoy those moments where STP and PG had similar thought processes.

There's a certain little blue Feegle who would definitely approve of this.

"The Nac Mac Feegle are the most dangerous of the fairy races, particularly when drunk. They love drinking, fighting and stealing, and will in fact steal anything that is not nailed down. If it is nailed down, they will steal the nails as well."

"'Have you boys got no shame?' Rob Anybody matched him grin for grin. 'I couldnae say,' he replied, but if we have, it probably belonged tae somebody else.'"

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u/EndersGame_Reviewer 13d ago

Pratchett was definitely influenced by Wodehouse in numerous places; I wonder if this is another example?

1

u/smcicr 13d ago

I'd like to think so :)

I've always thought of Willikins as a Jeeves after dark type thing and I very much enjoyed this definite tip of the cap from Hogfather:

"UP, GOUGER! UP, ROOTER! UP, TUSKER! UP, SNOUTER! GIDDYUP! The four large boars harnessed to the sledge did not move. WHY DOESN’T THAT WORK? said the figure in a puzzled, heavy voice. “Beats me, master,” said the sacks. IT WORKS ON HORSES. “You could try ‘Pig-hooey!’“ PIG-HOOEY. They waited. NO… DOESN’T SEEM TO REACH THEM. There was some whispering. REALLY? YOU THINK THAT WOULD WORK? “It’d bloody well work on me if I was a pig, master.” VERY WELL, THEN. The figure gathered up the reins again. APPLE! SAUCE! The pigs’ legs blurred. Silver light flicked across them, and exploded outwards. They dwindled to a dot, and vanished."

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u/OverseerConey 13d ago

Converted, eh? I wonder if he worked with Bill Rumm, the safecracker who got swept up by the Salvation Army?