Learn To Love Latin

Frankly, It Needs All The Love It Can Get
Why so?  Well, it is defined as a "dead language", is it not?  And yet it creeps into our language like a neighbour's cat abseiling down the chimney on a fishing-line*, turning up in science and literature, influencing - influencing! - other languages.
     Frankly, it's more of a zombie language than a dead one.  Remember me banging on about T. Pynchon and "Against The Day?"  Latin gets it's oar in there, too, as German mathematicians of the late Nineteenth Century decide to submit their journal articles in Latin.  Even Bertie Wooster comes out with Latin, as does Jeeves of course, thanks to Plum** no doubt having Latin pummelled into his tender hide whilst at school.

LA tin.  Close enough

So!  You must be wondering. And also "when is Conrad going to arrive at a point? because we only have a limited lifespan upon this planet".

Agincourt
Another of Conrad's "hot reads" on the bus, that probably inspire awe and wonder in all who behold him***, hopefully. A history of the campaign and the battle by one Anne Curry.  Because it is set in 1415 AD, the English and French both include Latin in their speech and writing, leading to Conrad scribbling away in his notebook, brow furrowed with anxious curiousity <Mister Hand explains that this expression scares small children and curdles milk at close range>.  There are references to some rather arcane weapons, too.
     "Sagitarrii"; ah but you're already ahead of me on this one, eh?  Anyone who ever looked at a horoscope knows Sagitarrius is Latin for "archer".
     Halberd: a word possibly derived from German (hooray!  Not Latin!), this was a type of two-handed pole weapon, a great big axe blade with a hook and a long sharp pointy bit on the end.

Imagine this on the end of a six-foot pole

     Guisarme:  a word possibly derived from French (hooray!  Not Latin!), this is another pole weapon, featuring a curved "bill" used to bring down riders on horseback.

Just the thing to deter chimney-sneaking cat burglars, eh?

     Conrad is still plodding his way through "The War The Infantry Knew" and the mention of trenches and sharp things used to do in your opponent occurs both in that volume and "Agincourt".  The more things change ...

Aginglass.  Close enough

"Deus Irae"
Latin for "God of Wrath" and a science-fiction novel co-written by Philip Kendred Dick and Roger Zelazny, a very odd combination indeed, Phil being a substance-using paranoid conflator of reality, and Roger being a creator of mythic literature influenced by historical works.

Can't put up the cover of my edition.  Rather NSFW

     Obviously this one popped into my mind because of the ongoing struggle with Latin (is there a Latin word for "Latin"?), and I only recall reading it once or twice as a teenager.  Probably not enough rocketships and laser space-battles.  I think a thirty-year hiatus^ is probably long enough for me to re-read it and decide if I like it or not.

"For Of All Sad Words Of Tongue Or Pen
The Saddest Of These Are: It Might Have Been"
I'm not sorry for the longest post title there has ever been on BOOJUM! because I can think of a phrase much sadder than that:

"Darling, I'm going into Picadilly Gardens to do some bus-spotting"

     Those exotic creatures "bus spotters" do exist, as Conrad walked in slight disbelief past a couple in Picadilly Gardens on Saturday, noting how they noted, with a book, and binoculars, and - obviously! - an army-surplus rucksack^^.

"Pride"
Conrad was grateful to the 7:15 a.m. 409 bus, which had a poster for this film upon it.  For maximum comedy value, one has to take the poster alone as being sufficient information upon which to base a review.

Either a loudspeaker or a rocket.  Conrad votes for rocket!

     Conrad's first impression, that it must be a cartoon comedy about lions, perished immediately he realised that those were people on the poster, not hilarious comedy animals. Okay, not "Madagascar Part 237".  Ah!  Of course! "Pride and Prejudice^^^" - except there seemed to be a lack of a central female character.  Okay, not a bodice-ripping chick-flick either.  Overweening - that's another word associated with pride, except it -

(Conrad gives up, goes on IMDB to find out what "Pride" is)

Ah, I see. Like these - 

This photo may be promoting a football team - Conrad has no idea yes or no.

     - but with coal!

"An Heir And A Spare"
Carol, who is part of a comedy duo alongside Hazel, bothered Conrad about this phrase today.  Had I heard of it before?
     Not until that very second, Carol.  She went away, muttering imprecations~ against Conrad, which impelled the creator of this blog to Google it.
     The concept, explained Carol, is that the British monarchy like to have an heir to the throne, and to insure against sudden death by meteorite strike, chihuahua stampede or killer cats coming down the chimney, they like to have a spare child in the background, too, viz:

The hottie on the right is Princess Elizabeth.

*  This happens all the time at the Mansion!  Cats,eh?
** P G Wodehouse of course.  Do keep up!
*** - or could it be fear and loathing?  Hey!  That sounds like an excellent title for a book -
^  Yep.  Latin.
^^ Mister Hand points out the hilarious irony (which is from Greek!  Not Latin!) of Conrad, a wargamer who plays with toy soldiers, being sarky about an occupation that gets one out into the fresh air.
^^^ Sorry, Latin origin again.
~ I'm not going to bother looking it up.  Bound to be Latin.