OT: anus horribilis

From: Huw Davies <Huw.Davies_at_kerberos.davies.net.au>
Date: Sat Dec 14 22:27:00 2002

At 10:54 PM 14/12/2002 -0500, Heinz Wolter wrote:
>Subject: Re: anus horribilis
>
>the latin word for year is "annus".
>"anus" horribilis could mean a shitty
> year but from a more ~orifice~ point of view ;)
>regards,
>h
>
>Re Annus Mirabilis, the phrase has entered English because it was the title
>John Dryden gave to a poem he wrote described the events of 1666. These
>included a naval war with the Dutch, and the terrible Fire of London.
>
>When was it -- six years ago? -- that Windsor Palace was badly damaged by a
>fire and much other bad stuff happened to the British royal family, and
>Queen Elizabeth II described that year as an "annus horribilis." Thereby 1)
>she demonstrated a commendable knowledge of English literature, and 2) a
>pretty good grasp of Latin style. "Annus horribilis" ought to mean "a
>hair-raising year." That it was.

I understand that the speech writer for the Queen's "Annus Horribilis" talk
admitted later that the declension was incorrect. I recall my parents saying
something like that at the time (both of them had done Latin at school and in
my mothers case, university as well).



Huw Davies | e-mail: Huw.Davies_at_kerberos.davies.net.au
                      | "If God had wanted soccer played in the
                      | air, the sky would be painted green"
Received on Sat Dec 14 2002 - 22:27:00 GMT