Chop-chop

[primsong]

I found it fascinating that during the height of the French Revolution there were too many heads to be lopped for the governmental officials to keep up with in the main cities, so they had a carriage built with (get this) a "portable guillotine" that would go from town to town taking care of all those troublesome executions. Sort of like a book-mobile.

I mentioned this to my daughter who gave me an odd look. "Like a book-mobile?" she said. "And what is this gesture you used - is that your new motion for executions?" I think I am being laughed at. I realized after the fact that when I referred to executions, I was rapidly chopping the air, as if whacking up carrots with a chef's knife. (well, gee, they did have to do an awful lot of them per day...)

Still nice and icy here - no school again, and lots of tea and cocoa. We could get used to this.

Comments

[accioboytoy.livejournal.com]

I like the fact that the heads rolled neatly into a lined laundry basket, still with the expressions on the visages. Very French of them *smirk*

The chop chop was accurate...head in the hollow, last words and swish-chop, there you go. Very efficient, really.

I love the SP with Anthony Andrews and jane Seymour - its my favorite historical telepic...besides Jesus of Nazareth, Masada and Thornbirds; all oldies but goodies.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

Still my fave version of it too, we probably have it memorized. There are some very fun "Making of the Scarlet Pimpernel" vids on you-tube, from a special aired to promote the opening of the Broadway musical version. Their stage Percy was darn cute, too! That was where they had the historian who talked about the porta-chopper.