[lit-ideas] Re: Syncopated Newts
- From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:11:39 -0800
On Feb 24, 2010, at 2:21 AM, cblists@xxxxxxxx wrote:
Cf. Gussie Fink-Nottle's wish that he and the current object of his
amorous devotions were newts in one (or possibly several) of P.G:
Wodehouse's entertaining and instructive Jeeves stories. Fink-
Nottle goes on in one passage to describe the correct behaviour a
male newt would undertake in order to signal his interest to a female.
Perhaps a list member who is a more avid fan has the entire
collection at hand and can give us the name(s) of the relevant
story (stories) and volume (volumes).
Perhaps an even more avid fan can quote 'chapter and verse' from
memory ...
Well how annoying. A review of some stage production says that it's
in "Right Ho, Jeeves." There I find newts a'plenty:
Chap 11, p.135, German-manufactured "Collector's Edition," 2000:
Gussie is about to pop the question, decides instead to give
Madelaine a lecture on "the newt, its treatment in sickeness and
health."
"No girl, when she has been led to expect that a man is about to pour
forth his soul in a fervour of passion, likes to find him suddenly
shelving the whole topic in favour of an address on aquatic
Salamandridae."
Chap 13, p.152, Bertie reflects on this, diagnosing the problem to
have been an insufficiency of alcohol:
"Shame seals his lips, or, if doesn't do that, makes him lose his
morale and start to babble. Gussie, for example, as we have seen,
babbles of syncopated newts."
"Palmated newts, sir."
"Palmated or syncopated, it doesn't matter which..."
But not the scene you quote. I'm beginning to wonder if it was added
by T.V. writers.
I check, "The Mating Season," which resumes the Finknottle, Basset,
Wooster triangular dalliance. No newt scene.
I must work. Hunting the mating newt, and Gussie, to be resumed at
some later hour.
David Ritchie,
wondering when Jeeves will return from shrimping
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