# Things I, as an American, have learned from Terry Pratchett **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 7, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618 "2005-01-07T18:32:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/21 "2005-01-07T22:00:53Z")
> [@wnorthr](#): > > I thought “Bob’s your uncle” meant everything’s easy after that point. > Am I wrong? Yes and no 😃 It _either_ means “and that’s the whole thing sorted out”…or it means “after that, it’s all to obvious for words”. But you’re on the right kind of path 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/22 "2005-01-07T22:02:19Z")
> [@wnorthr](#): > > I thought “Bob’s your uncle” meant everything’s easy after that point. > Am I wrong? And Fanny’s your Aunt Can also be added afterwards. And no, you’re not wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/23 "2005-01-07T22:04:10Z")
Have you worked out the meanimg of **Djelibabi** from _Pyramids_ yet? Don’t worry if you haven’t. It took me a while to work out what **Hersheba** means. ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/24 "2005-01-07T22:07:47Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > Have you worked out the meanimg of **Djelibabi** from _Pyramids_ yet? > > Don’t worry if you haven’t. It took me a while to work out what **Hersheba** means. Americans don’t get the item referenced in the first bit so I expect that’ll be an obscure one. I’m guessing the second one is hershey bar, which most Brits won’t know about. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/25 "2005-01-07T22:09:39Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > Have you worked out the meanimg of **Djelibabi** from _Pyramids_ yet? > > Don’t worry if you haven’t. It took me a while to work out what **Hersheba** means. I did, but I learned that from _Dr. Who_. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/26 "2005-01-07T22:22:37Z")
> [@Arch Trout](#): > > Americans don’t get the item referenced in the first bit so I expect that’ll be an obscure one. Oh, it can’t be that obscure – it’s not hard to go from **Djelibabi** to the prominent merchandise in every _Sweet Factory_ mall candy store. As for the OP, I’ll add “Yorkie Bar” and **Dunnmanifestin** to the list. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/27 "2005-01-07T23:36:52Z")
Like **mks57** , Morris dancing. I had no clue what they were talking about in that book, whichever one it was, so I had to look it up on the AFP. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/28 "2005-01-07T23:40:26Z")
OK, I’m getting the gist… Does Pratchett note the traditional salutation from waitresses, **djoiameel**? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/29 "2005-01-08T11:21:41Z")
Believe me, you don’t want to see Morris dancing. Trust me on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/30 "2005-01-08T11:50:05Z")
Trebor Bassett [Jelly Babies](http://www.missingpiece.com/RADW/jbabies.html). ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/31 "2005-01-08T12:15:24Z")
Ooh I didn’t get the **hersheba** one. Me silly. I think I mentally put the stress in the wrong place, but, being in Britain anyway… How about Imp Y Celyn’s home village of **Llamedos**? Actually. though, I suppose anyone familiar with Dylan Thomas would get that one. ---
**Author:** ![Legolamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@Legolamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legolamb)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/32 "2005-01-08T12:46:49Z")
> [@\_xiao\_wenti\_](#): > > Sultana (oversized rasin). Not exactly, sultanas are made from green grapes, whereas raisins are made from red ones. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/33 "2005-01-08T14:42:38Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > But, surely Thor Stronginthearm is my uncle? I thought _Bjorn_ Stronginthearm was your uncle! 😕 ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/34 "2005-01-08T14:58:16Z")
_Good Omens_ taught me about firelighters and draft excluders and that the M5’s topography spells out a Satanic invocation. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/35 "2005-01-08T15:23:02Z")
Every time I need to remember the intricacies of old-style English currency, I go dig out my copy of _Good Omens_ and look at the footnote. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/36 "2005-01-08T17:24:33Z")
> [@Legolamb](#): > > Not exactly, sultanas are made from green grapes, whereas raisins are made from red ones. So they’re what we call “golden raisins”? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/37 "2005-01-08T17:35:43Z")
I coulda sworn there was a Cecil’s column or Staff Report on this, but I couldn’t find it. Here’s a loose translation: There was once an Englishman who got a fat government job. He was not qualified for the post, but his uncle Robert was already a powerful government guy, so he was in. There was a fuss about it, but there he stayed. So, when you say, “and Bob’s your uncle” to mean, “and it’s as good as done,” you’re making a sarcastic reference to that long-ago nepotism. There’s a US phrase “I’ll be there with bells on,” that refers to making a journey in a horse-drawn wagon or sleigh without any breakdowns. Supposedly, if somebody helped you with repairs, you gave him some some of the bells from your horses. However, I have a feeling Pratchett meant something else. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/38 "2005-01-08T18:08:29Z")
Bob’s your uncle [origin.](http://www.yaelf.com/aueFAQ/mifbobsyouruncle.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Detritus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@Detritus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Detritus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/39 "2005-01-08T21:26:39Z")
I have learned that British parody can almost make me laugh until I need someone to “tip the wee out of my shoe”. I haven’t the foggiest idea if the word “twee” is a real English word, but I have learned it well and use it every chance I get. As in: “If I catch you being twee again I will knot your arms behind your head.” I have learned the importance of kicking the hell out of cowardly Johnny Klatchian for no very good reason…no, wait…on second thought, that’s just more of the crap our president keeps spewing. I have learned that a fag end can be re-smoked near-indefinitely if one stores it behind one’s ear. I have learned what a “fry-up” is, about “burnt crunchy bits” as they relate to both breakfast and treacle, and what treacle is in the first place. I have learned what a “verruca” is (a wart), what “going spare” means (also “going round the bend” and “going totally Librarian poo”), and that shopping carts are “trolleys”. Buggerit! Millennium hand and shrimp! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618/40 "2005-01-08T21:29:26Z")
I’m still trying to figure out just what a “gel” is. And how it’s different from a “gal”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-as-an-american-have-learned-from-terry-pratchett/283618.md?page=3)