# What does Bilbo say at his Birthday? "I like you half as much as you deserve?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 1, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bilbo-say-at-his-birthday-i-like-you-half-as-much-as-you-deserve/390432 "2007-02-01T17:37:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bilbo-say-at-his-birthday-i-like-you-half-as-much-as-you-deserve/390432/21 "2007-02-02T06:37:06Z")
**NoseFINGERS!** Oh, wrong book. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bilbo-say-at-his-birthday-i-like-you-half-as-much-as-you-deserve/390432/22 "2007-02-02T13:52:55Z")
[QUOTE=Dr. Rieux] **NoseFINGERS!** Oh, wrong book. Sorry. [/QUOTE] What, were you feeling bored of the story of the rings? **Polycarp** , of course you realize that there was quite a bit more to his speech before he vanished? 😉 Jim ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bilbo-say-at-his-birthday-i-like-you-half-as-much-as-you-deserve/390432/23 "2007-02-02T14:22:36Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] What, were you feeling bored of the story of the rings? **Polycarp** , of course you realize that there was quite a bit more to his speech before he vanished? 😉 Jim [/QUOTE] Actually, if I recall correctly, there wasn’t. He follows the statement about how much he likes people with the words, “And lastly, to make an Announcement!” or something very close to that, then says that it’s time to say good bye, and slips the ring on and vanishes in the blinding flash of Gandalf’s light. Someone geekier than I will supply the right words from memory very shortly, I assume. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Humble\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/47e85d/32.png) [@Humble\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Humble_Servant)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bilbo-say-at-his-birthday-i-like-you-half-as-much-as-you-deserve/390432/24 "2007-02-02T15:32:46Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] What, were you feeling bored of the story of the rings? [/QUOTE] That’s completely ridiculous. No one could possibly do something so silly as to be Bored of the Rings. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bilbo-say-at-his-birthday-i-like-you-half-as-much-as-you-deserve/390432/25 "2007-02-02T15:56:07Z")
[QUOTE=sinjin] Wait, so you admitted that you don’t appreciate a majority of the audience you were pitching to, and they approved your project anyway? Easy crowd… [/QUOTE] It was a platonic little ice breaker and it worked well. I got he approval. There were a few LOTR fans who knew the coy little ruse I was trying, and it was actually quite amusing. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bilbo-say-at-his-birthday-i-like-you-half-as-much-as-you-deserve/390432/26 "2007-02-02T16:43:38Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] It was a platonic little ice breaker … [/QUOTE] Thank God for that. If it weren’t platonic, you would \*not \* want to be quoting Tolkein. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bilbo-say-at-his-birthday-i-like-you-half-as-much-as-you-deserve/390432/27 "2007-02-02T17:08:09Z")
Here we go…verbatim, from “A Long Expected Party” > [@J.R.R.Tolkien](#): > > First of all, to tell you that I am immensely fond of you all, and that eleventy-one years is too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits. Tremendous outburst of approval. > I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. This was unexpected and rather difficult. There was some scattered clapping, but most of them were trying to work it out and see if it came to a compliment. > Secondly, to celebrate my birthday. Cheers again. I should say: OUR birthday. For it is, of course, also the birthday of my heir and nephew, Frodo. He comes of age and into his inheritance today. Some perfunctory clapping by the elders; and some loud shouts of ‘Frodo! Frodo! Jolly old Frodo,’ from the juniors. The Sackville-Bagginses scowled, and wondered what was meant by ‘coming into his inheritance’. Together we score one hundred and forty-four. Your numbers were chosen to fit this remarkable total: One Gross, if I may use the expression. No cheers. This was ridiculous. Many of his guests, and especially the Sackville-Bagginses, were insulted, feeling sure they had only been asked to fill up the required number, like goods in a package. ‘One Gross, indeed! Vulgar expression.’ ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bilbo-say-at-his-birthday-i-like-you-half-as-much-as-you-deserve/390432/28 "2007-02-02T17:17:58Z")
Ah, well, I was wrong. Age, and all that you know. :eek: :o ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bilbo-say-at-his-birthday-i-like-you-half-as-much-as-you-deserve/390432/29 "2007-02-02T17:26:51Z")
[QUOTE=jsc1953] Here we go…verbatim, from “A Long Expected Party” [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=DSYoungEsq] Ah, well, I was wrong. Age, and all that you know. :eek: :o [/QUOTE] Thanks **jsc1953** , I do not have my books at work. I was going to have to wait until late tonight. Jim [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bilbo-say-at-his-birthday-i-like-you-half-as-much-as-you-deserve/390432.md?page=1)