The Meaning of Liff
Via John B comes the news that the splendid Douglas Adams and John Lloyd collaboration, The Meaning of Liff, can be browsed online.
Glorious stuff. Every time I flick through The Meaning of Liff I resolve to start incorporating some of the words into everyday conversation. After a couple of decades, however, I’ve still only ever used ‘Kentucky‘ and ‘Epworth‘ more than once, though the observation made in the definition of ‘Aberbeeg‘ is one I’ve often mentioned to others.
I’d like to also take this opportunity to recommend Last Chance To See. In my view this is probably the best book Douglas Adams wrote (and I say that as a big fan of both the Hitch-Hiker’s series and the Dirk Gently books, of which I wish there’d been more). If you haven’t read Last Chance To See, then please, please, please grab yourself a copy (it’ll hardly break the bank). It’s as sad as it is funny. And it is very very funny indeed.
Great news about Liff and thoroughly agree about Last Chance to See. The blog Another Chance To See recently unearthed a video of Douglas talking about it. It can be found here:
http://www.anotherchancetosee.com/2008/11/video-douglas-adams-parrots-universe.html
Wonderful stuff.
December 1st, 2008 | 7:00pm
by Toby
Oddly enough, I always think of Bathydexter when I turn the taps with my toes;which I did the other day,and then in synchronicity I click on The Quiet Road for the first time in a while, and I find your post.
You haven’t got my copy of Last Chance to See, have you? I lent it to someone years ago, and I can’t remember who now.
December 1st, 2008 | 11:29pm
by Antron S Meister
You did indeed loan it to me, my dear Mister Meister, but I returned it to you within a few days I believe (I read it rather quickly). Certainly it’s not something that’s ever been on my bookshelf to the best of my recollection (in fact I’ve occasionally thought about re-reading it over the years and mentally gone, “doh! I read R’s copy… I really need to get hold of my own!”) and I’m not in the habit of losing books (though I did once leave my copy of Pynchon’s V on a bus when I only had about 30 pages left to read which was very annoying… the 260 to Willesden Green if I recall correctly).
December 1st, 2008 | 11:43pm
by Jim Bliss