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Posted By: Jackie Epitaphs - 06/13/00 03:57 PM
The Last Words thread made me think of this: does
anyone know of any good epitaphs, OR could you make one up
for yourself or someone else? Here's my all-time favorite:
I told you I was sick!

Posted By: David108 Re: Epitaphs - 06/13/00 07:05 PM
I like Spike Milligan's response to a headstone that read, "Not dead, only sleeping"

He said, "Who is he trying to kid?"

Posted By: jmh Re: Epitaphs - 06/13/00 08:54 PM
I always liked the idea of ...

"God is dead!", Nietzsche
"Nietzsche is dead!", God

Must be my existential, Catholic anarchist background coming through.

Posted By: Jackie Re: Epitaphs - 06/14/00 10:44 AM
My husband just gave me this one, and swears it is an
actual Boot Hill epitaph:

Here lies Les Moore
Four shots from a .44
No Les, no more.

Posted By: tsuwm Re: Epitaphs - 06/14/00 07:09 PM
for Mel Blanc (voice of Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, et al):
"That's all folks!"

Posted By: Bingley Re: Epitaphs - 06/14/00 11:45 PM
About 20 years ago there was a book called, if I remember rightly, "A Little Book of Grave Humour", which was full of real-life epitaphs showing a sense of humour. Alas, I can't remember them now, but some of them were enough to make you die laughing.

Bingley
Posted By: Rubrick Re: Epitaphs - 06/15/00 10:27 AM
> About 20 years ago there was a book called, if I remember rightly, "A Little Book of Grave Humour", which was full of
real-life epitaphs showing a sense of humour. Alas, I can't remember them now, but some of them were enough to make
you die laughing.


I've looked them up on the library server and here they are. I also found a couple of others including one by the aforementioned Mr. Milligan which should be worth a look or two.


AUTHOR :De'ath, Richard
TITLE :Tombstone humour / [compiled by] Richard De'ath / introduced by Spike Milligan
IMPRINT :London : Chancellor Press, 1993
COLLATION :320p ; 21cm
CONTENTS :Contents: Tombstone humour. Originally published: London:
Unwin Paperbacks, 1983. - Last will & testament. Originally
published: London: Unwin Paperbacks, 1984. - Died laughing.
Originally published: London: Unwin Paperbacks, 1985. - Grave
moments. Originally published: London: Unwin Paperbacks, 1986
ISBN :1851522638

************************

AUTHOR :Lamont-Brown, Raymond
TITLE :Irish grave humour : an anthology of epitaphs / Raymond Lamont-Brown
IMPRINT :Dublin : O'Brien P., 1987
COLLATION :96p,ill ; 22cm pbk
ISBN :0862781531

************************

AUTHOR :Spiegl, Fritz Knights, Jane
TITLE :Dead funny : a second book of grave humour / edited by Fritz Spiegl / and recreated by Jane Knights
IMPRINT :London : Pan, 1982
COLLATION :[160]p,ill,music ; 18cm pbk
SERIES :Pan original
ISBN :0330268287

************************

AUTHOR :Spiegl, Fritz Knights, Jane
TITLE :A Small book of grave humour / collected by Fritz Spiegl and recreated by Jane Knights
IMPRINT :London : Pan by arrangement with Scouse Press, 1971 (1981 printing
COLLATION :[183]p,chiefly ill ; 18cm pbk
ISBN :0330028715

************************

AUTHOR :Spiegl, Fritz Knights, Jane
TITLE :A small book of grave humour : comic & curious memorial inscriptions / collected by Fritz Spiegl and recreated by Jane Knights
IMPRINT :London : Pan Books, 1971
COLLATION :[188]p ; 18cm Pbk
NOTES :Top edge curved
ISBN :0330028715

Posted By: AnnaStrophic Re: Epitaphs - 06/15/00 01:43 PM
>> AUTHOR :De'ath, Richard


???

Posted By: Rubrick Re: Epitaphs - 06/15/00 01:56 PM
>> AUTHOR :De'ath, Richard


> ???

This reply must rank as one of the shortest I've ever seen on the AWAD noticeboard and the only one with no actual letters in it - let alone words!

Spike Milligan wrote the book and has added his name to the introduction. Spike's sense of humour is well known on this side of the pond since he started writing and appearing in The Goon show in the 50s and 60s. In the 70s he did his 'Q' series for television and has written dozens (if not hundreds) of books on many subjects over the past fifty years. He loves the macabre, the idiotic and the plain damn foolish so he is giving his little dig in the ribs by using the pseudonym of Richard De'ath for this publication.

Posted By: AnnaStrophic Re: Epitaphs - 06/15/00 01:59 PM
Thanks for the explanation, Rubrick.
I gotta say, I like the apostrophical embellishment.

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