Note this is an archived version of this page. The current blog is now here
I've been meaning to post this for ages - I first saw it on Groggs when I was at university. Credit to Jonathan Partington, inventor of the March March March, who would also have been my Director of Studies had he not left Fitz after he interviewed me, for posting this.
A traveller was showing a geologist friend around Duke Bluebeard's castle.
"One used to be able to look out down on to the plain," he said, "but it looks as if the Duke has taken the window the plain could be looked out down on to out of away."
"I wonder," pondered the geologist, "what he has walled the window the plain was looked out down on to out of up with."
"I should like to find someone to take the question of what he took the window the plain was looked out down on to out of away for up with."
"Or indeed what it is walled up with," murmured the other.
Out of the darkness, the Duke's voice was heard:
"I am the one to take the question of what I walled that view I could no longer put up with up with up with."
I'm sure there are longer strings possible, indeed I'm sure I vaguely remember an Archimedeans article with an inductive proof that an arbitrarily large number could be achieved, but I like the neatness of "up with up with up with".
I came out with this phrase the other day and then couldn't remember where I'd got it from - I knew I hadn't made it up. Turns out it's from Stephen Pile's The Book of Heroic Failures
The phrase is from the entry for the worst phrasebook, which is online here.
(from "For to ride a horse") Here is a horse who have bad looks. Give me another. I will not that. He not sall know to march, he is pursy, he is foundered. Don't you are ashamed to give me a jade as like? he is unshoed, he is with nails up.
A set of old links reflecting my sense of what's amusing. YMMV.
