callooh, callay!

[electricland]

It occurs to me that I shouldn't have included the "snicker-snack" option on that poll, as it makes the results a tad statistically dodgy.

However, for the (at least 3) people who had no clue what I was referring to, the vorpal sword comes from Lewis Carroll's fine poem Jabberwocky, which I really did think everybody knew:

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Read it out loud for maximum effect.

An informal poll revealed that at least two of my colleagues had no idea what a vorpal blade is either. However, as one launched into some Vogon poetry when I explained, I'm not altogether sure what this signifies.

I have also learned as a result of this exercise (thanks to all who enlightened me) that vorpal blades show up in lots of RPGs. And I think the Wikipedia entry shows it's a pretty widespread term. So there, Andy Barrie.