Talk:Moab Is My Washpot
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Title
[edit]Can anyone explain the significance of the wacky title? It's a line from Psalm 108 ("Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph") but why is it the title of an autobiography? Flapdragon 03:07, 25 January 2006 (UTC)
- I wanted to ask just that. Adding to my confusion, I thought MOAB was a type of rain-absorbing asphalt. DirkvdM 09:37, 5 February 2006 (UTC)
- I doubt that has anything to do with it. They didn't have asphalt in ancient Palestine. Aaрон Кинни (t) 16:30, 28 June 2006 (UTC)
- While the quote does originate in the Bible, I suspect that Mr. Fry uses it because of his admiration for the writer P.G. Wodehouse. The latter uses this phrase to express a feeling of great joy and contentment. One example occurs early in Uncle Dynamite. The discussion on the main page about the significance of this title with respect to Fry's view of himself as a boy is, I fear, spectaculary wide of the mark. I think he was jolly happy being a bit of a cad and rather like a character from Wodehouse in fact. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Cliftonperkins (talk • contribs) 20:44, 26 January 2007 (UTC).
- I removed the speculation about his youth but didn't add the Wodehouse speculation. I think it's a good theory though. Perhaps it would be appropriate to add, properly cited, of course: 1) that Fry admires Wodehouse, 2) that Wodehouse frequently used that phrase, 3) what Wodehouse meant by it. I'll try to find sources for that info, though if someone else would like to find and add it that would be wonderful. Ariadne55 (talk) 13:55, 23 April 2008 (UTC)
- While the quote does originate in the Bible, I suspect that Mr. Fry uses it because of his admiration for the writer P.G. Wodehouse. The latter uses this phrase to express a feeling of great joy and contentment. One example occurs early in Uncle Dynamite. The discussion on the main page about the significance of this title with respect to Fry's view of himself as a boy is, I fear, spectaculary wide of the mark. I think he was jolly happy being a bit of a cad and rather like a character from Wodehouse in fact. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Cliftonperkins (talk • contribs) 20:44, 26 January 2007 (UTC).
"The title, never referenced in the text of the book, is a verse found in Psalm 60 and Psalm 108". the title is referenced in the text - it is just never explained--TimothyJacobson (talk) 16:19, 10 January 2009 (UTC)
- Yes, that was pretty much exactly my point three years ago... Is it just an amusing biblical phrase borrowed from Wodehouse or does it mean anything in the context of the book? Surely some interviewer must have asked him about it, it seems an obvious question. Flapdragon (talk) 23:27, 24 August 2009 (UTC)
- Why does it need to be explained? Isn't that Stephen Fry? Humorous,sad touching, sarcasm,HIM.Always a 'education' to read, listen and watch. A critical appraisal of his life- with a soft after glow. '💯 'bravo!'
-  2A00:23C7:95DB:FD01:E5C5:434A:B571:35E0 (talk) 23:53, 12 May 2023 (UTC)
Wording
[edit]I'm not sure I entirely agree with the use of the word 'seduction'. Isn't there anything better we could use? Voici 14:00, 13 October 2006 (UTC)
- Do you mean this part: "..Oliver Derwent, a prefect who seduces Fry."? Thhis seems okay to me -- the phrase is used by Fry in the book: "It was towards the end of my first year that I was succsessfully seduced and deflowered". (p298 of my Arrow UK edition) 143.252.80.100 10:52, 6 December 2006 (UTC)
- If it's a verb chosen by the writer for effect, it should be put in quotation marks. (It'd be ridiculous to have "deflowered" unquoted in the body of the article.) --McGeddon 18:07, 12 November 2007 (UTC)
- Why not have deflowered in quotes, or even seduced? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.97.27.193 (talk) 00:15, 7 January 2008 (UTC)