# Watership Down spoiler **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 12, 2019, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084 "2019-09-12T02:05:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/41 "2019-09-17T01:52:27Z")
How do you say, “To Hell with you, Woundwort!” in lupine? It would make a nice bumper sticker. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/42 "2019-09-17T02:08:14Z")
“My Chief Rabbit has told me to stay and defend this run, and until he says otherwise, I shall stay here.” And Woundwort just shits his pants, because he had assumed that Bigwig was the Chief Rabbit, being the largest and strongest of the warren. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/43 "2019-09-17T02:17:36Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > What is that from? I don’t recall it from Watership Down or Tales From. It’s on page 120 of my copy of WD; the rabbits think Bigwig is dead even though they just freed him from the wire snare. It’s a rabbit proverb, sort of a prayer for the dead. I had it engraved on the plaque I commissioned for my second rabbit when he died. It’s also in the original animated film at the same spot. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/44 "2019-09-17T02:21:56Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > How do you say, “To Hell with you, Woundwort!” in lupine? > It would make a nice bumper sticker. I’d go with **Silflay embleer hraka fu Inlé, Woundwort** eat stinking SHIT and go die (approximately) ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/45 "2019-09-17T02:24:41Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > It’s on page 120 of my copy of WD; the rabbits think Bigwig is dead even though they just freed him from the wire snare. It’s a rabbit proverb, sort of a prayer for the dead. I had it engraved on the plaque I commissioned for my second rabbit when he died. It’s also in the original animated film at the same spot. Thanks, I don’t have a copy of _Watership Down_ handy - I think I’ll have to suck it up and re-read the book, now. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/46 "2019-09-17T02:34:40Z")
> [@si\_blakely](#): > > I’d go with > > **Silflay embleer hraka fu Inlé, Woundwort** > > eat stinking SHIT and go die (approximately) Very nice. That might be better than the one from the book: **Silflay hraka, u embleer rah!** ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/47 "2019-09-17T02:43:42Z")
When I was a rebellious teen who wished she’d been born in time to be a hippy, I carried my sisters dog-eared copy around. Never read it. Then I found hippies were stinky and germy. That phase ended. Should I read it? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/48 "2019-09-17T02:48:17Z")
Absolutely. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/49 "2019-09-17T02:54:24Z")
Yes. Read it. It is one of the greatest novels of the 20th century. It us about life, sacrifice, leadership and myth. It is about rabbits. It is well worth reading. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/50 "2019-09-17T04:04:37Z")
Yes, you should absolutely read this book. I’ve read it 2-3 times, but the last time was probably in the '80s or '90s. (I first read it back in the '70s!) Nevertheless, it must have stuck with me, because I easily read **si\_blakely** ’s Lapine text in post #44 without needing the translation. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/51 "2019-09-17T04:07:59Z")
I will. Thanks. (Sorry, \*Carni, didn’t mean to hijack your thread) \*nickname ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/52 "2019-09-17T04:10:07Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > When I was a rebellious teen who wished she’d been born in time to be a hippy, I carried my sisters dog-eared copy around. Never read it. Then I found hippies were stinky and germy. That phase ended. > Should I read it? Another “yes”. Absolutely one of the greatest novels I’ve ever read, and I’ve read thousands. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/53 "2019-09-17T04:10:09Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > How do you say, “To Hell with you, Woundwort!” in lupine? > It would make a nice bumper sticker. Nitpick…[lupine](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lupine) means “wolfish.” You meant [Lapine](https://watershipdown.fandom.com/wiki/Lapine). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/54 "2019-09-17T12:40:55Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > When I was a rebellious teen who wished she’d been born in time to be a hippy, I carried my sisters dog-eared copy around. Never read it. Then I found hippies were stinky and germy. That phase ended. > Should I read it? I liked it, but I may have an interest because Mrs. Plant (v.3.0) enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/55 "2019-09-17T12:42:20Z")
> [@si\_blakely](#): > > I’d go with > > **Silflay embleer hraka fu Inlé, Woundwort** > > eat stinking SHIT and go die (approximately) Out standing! ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/56 "2019-09-17T13:00:29Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Another “yes”. Absolutely one of the greatest novels I’ve ever read, and I’ve read thousands. Yep, it’s in my top three of all time. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Hamsandwich)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084/57 "2019-09-17T17:22:29Z")
> [@Trancephalic](#): > > I think the presence of cigarettes, and possibly automobiles iirc, within their creation myth handily disproves rabbit religion. Well, at least to any being who lives on a long enough scale to experience the emergence of such things within one lifespan. It fits within their religion. it’s just another series of tricks that they have to outwit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watership-down-spoiler/840084.md?page=2)