Good Omens - the quotes

[Bouncy Castle]

http://www.lspace.org/books/pqf/good-omens.html

Oh dear. That's made me want to read it again!!

[Tonyblack]

There's a typo/error in Good Omens that gets used a few times. It's the use of the word 'ordinance' instead of 'ordnance' in reference to maps.

They mean different things:

or•di•nance (ôr dn- ns)
n.
1. An authoritative command or order.
2. A custom or practice established by long usage.
3. A Christian rite, especially the Eucharist.
4. A statute or regulation, especially one enacted by a city government.

ord•nance (ôrd n ns)
n.
1. Military materiel, such as weapons, ammunition, combat vehicles, and equipment.
2. The branch of an armed force that procures, maintains, and issues weapons, ammunition, and combat vehicles.
3. Cannon; artillery.

In the case of the map, it should be 'ordnance' as the Ordnance Survey was orginally set up for military purposes.

[Bouncy Castle]

Everything, I tells ya. This man knows everything!

[pip]

Used to work for the Ordnance Survey Ireland and couldn't spell the name right. made the mistake often enough to never make it again.

[Tonyblack]

Everything, I tells ya. This man knows everything!

[Bouncy Castle]

Whoopsie!!

[BatrickPatrick]

"Thud. Thud. Thud. Splat."

I don't recall that part...


Oh, and they've spelt 'Albrecht Dürer' with an extra 'e', too...Duerer...

[Penfold]

There's a typo/error in Good Omens that gets used a few times. It's the use of the word 'ordinance' instead of 'ordnance' in reference to maps.

They mean different things:

or•di•nance (ôr dn- ns)
n.
1. An authoritative command or order.
2. A custom or practice established by long usage.
3. A Christian rite, especially the Eucharist.
4. A statute or regulation, especially one enacted by a city government.

ord•nance (ôrd n ns)
n.
1. Military materiel, such as weapons, ammunition, combat vehicles, and equipment.
2. The branch of an armed force that procures, maintains, and issues weapons, ammunition, and combat vehicles.
3. Cannon; artillery.

In the case of the map, it should be 'ordnance' as the Ordnance Survey was orginally set up for military purposes.

Just a bit of a throwaway thought; in view of the nature of the story, could the typo/error have been deliberate? It would seem fitting with Sir Terry's erudite sense of humour.

*Sits back and waits to hear the words "Ye gods Penfold, you're bloody stupid!"*

[Bouncy Castle]

Something that puzzled me about Good Omens was that at the beginning he was called Crawley (appropriate for a snake), but then it changed to Crowley, or am I missing something and being as stupid as Penfold?


Sorry Penners!!

[Tonyblack]

I think that the name Crowley is partly a reference to Aleister Crowley.

As to why the name changes (it's been a while since I read it), but it's to do with getting a noral sounding name so he will blend in. A bit like immigrants to the US changing their names so they sound more English - such as Samuel Goldwyn the film producer changing his name from Schmuel Gelbfisz.

[Bouncy Castle]

I'd change my name too, if that were the case!!!


There he goes - knowing everything again!

[mystmoon]

it says in the Garden of Eden bit that Crawley disliked his name and wanted to change it.

[Doughnut Jimmy]

"Thud. Thud. Thud. Splat."

I don't recall that part...


Oh, and they've spelt 'Albrecht Dürer' with an extra 'e', too...Duerer...

Adding an "e" to replace the umlaut is the standard when an umlaut is not available, at one time the Germans were changing their standard spellings to remove the umlaut and the beta like symbol for a double s but it doesn't seem to have caught on.

[BatrickPatrick]

"Thud. Thud. Thud. Splat."

I don't recall that part...


Oh, and they've spelt 'Albrecht Dürer' with an extra 'e', too...Duerer...

Adding an "e" to replace the umlaut is the standard when an umlaut is not available, at one time the Germans were changing their standard spellings to remove the umlaut and the beta like symbol for a double s but it doesn't seem to have caught on.

Ah! That makes sense.