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ArchivesRe: It's a Scottish surname . . .
in reply to a message by Chrisell
Gilbert and Sullivan:
Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd
His leisure and his riches
He ruthlessly employed
In persecuting witches...
(It goes on. As you can imagine ...)
It's also pronounced, or it is in G&S: Rivven. So that gorgeous pun on Ruthven/ruthless is only visual, and the theatre audience would be likely to miss it. But man, those guys were good!
Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd
His leisure and his riches
He ruthlessly employed
In persecuting witches...
(It goes on. As you can imagine ...)
It's also pronounced, or it is in G&S: Rivven. So that gorgeous pun on Ruthven/ruthless is only visual, and the theatre audience would be likely to miss it. But man, those guys were good!
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