MR: Banter--A contest!

[alairia@juno.com (Lisa Z. Morgan)]

Poster: alairia@juno.com (Lisa Z. Morgan)

Greetings, noble and gentle denizens of the Merry Rose,

It is the customer in Alairia, as, I have heard, it is in Atlantia, for
each man and woman to find some way to contribute to any event they
attend.  With that in mind, I have offered to teach a class in Faire
Speech at the Pennsic Pre-School which Marinus is holding next month. 
In order to limber up, I propose a contest of the sort my former squire
and I enjoy when we are in our cups, to wit:

Pick a topic (we used politics, but for this venue, I think it better to
choose one related to our Great Game), and discuss it entirely in faire
speech.  Now, in Alairia, we do not use terms such as "dragon",
"fire-chariot" or "farspeaker".  A car is a "wain".  (A wagon used to
transport people and goods--appropriate, no?)  To use the phone is to
"send a messenger around" or simply "to speak with you."  Someone, I
forget who, handed us another good one--something about medieval
postment being named "Emil".  So sending e-mail would be "sending a
message with Emil" or the like.  

In fact, there's a good example.  If you wanted to know the e-mail
address of a friend, you might say,

	 "I would that my acquaintance with Lady X be renewed, to which
end I would write to her somewhat of my affection and pleasure in her
company.  Can anyone here direct my messenger, Emil, to where she might
lodge of late?"

Perhaps if our lovely innkeeper would venture to suggest the topic?  To
be challenging, it should not lend itself easily to the task; 
discussing the beauty of the ladies of the Merry Rose is too easy, as is
bragging about one's recent tourney win.  Better to find a topic which
mixes mundane elements, to see how inventive we can be.

Remember, the point of the game is not just to come up with new ways to
say mundane things, but to keep a flow going of un-interrupted,
beautiful language.

Anyone game?

Lyon FilsHenri
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