Jim West held a contest of his own today, and guess what? I actually won something. I don’t win things very often, so I am pleased as punch! (OK, what does that mean, “pleased as punch”? How can a liquid be pleased?).
At any rate, I happened to be Jim’s 170,000th visitor at his site, and because of that I get a free book — to be more accurate, I get free “books.” Jim, who will now be known to me as “Jim the Generous” will be posting me the Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls edited by (Oxford, 2000; Buy from Amazon.ca | Buy from Amazon.com). With 450 articles by an international team of scholars, this two volume work offers the most comprehensive critical synthesis of current knowledge about the Dead Sea Scrolls — and their historical, archaeological, linguistic, and religious contexts. Written in non-technical language this reference work provides authoritative answers and information for all readers. This is a pretty expensive set — at least up here in the Canadian hinterlands. All I can say is, “Sweet!”
Thanks, Jim!
Congrats Tyler, that’s quite a nice prize. Did anyone ever come forward in your 50000 visitor contest?
Perhaps “pleased as punch” does not mean “as pleased as punch is,” but “as pleased with S as one is with punch,” as when one “is snug outside of a jug of punch! Too-ra-loo-ra-loo, too-ra-loo-ra-lay …” Sorry, I’m feeling punchy.
Well, I did a little sleuthing and discovered that the phrase “pleased as punch” comes from a British television show, “Punch and Judy.” Go figure… I think I like your explanation better, Chris!
And Steve, no, I never got a winner. You want a free book?
I’d never turn down a free book, so if you’re offering, sure.
Yes after several page refreshments it is now time for liquid refreshments 😉
How many times you have entered ?
I don’t know if Punch and Judy has ever been the title of a British TV show, but it was the name of a genre of seaside puppet show that was for centiries (and still is) traditional that features an irrascible character “Mr Punch” his wife, the long-suffering, “Judy”, and also their “Baby”, a “Crocodile” and a “Policeman” as a minimal list of characters. The plots and the spoken lines are always thoroughly un-PC and somewhat violent, children love it, and so do (most) adults…
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