Carola Dunn: Honorary Word Wench

by Mary Jo

Carola--It is our custom to induct authors we've interviewed into our gallery of Honorary Word Wenches, and to offer a virtual gift (because virtual gifts are ever so much more affordable than real ones, so we can give grandly. <G>)

Considering how the Honourable Daisy Dalymple is always tootling around England to write her articles about English great houses, I decided it was time she got an automobile of her own.

I considered giving her the same car used by another fine British sleuth of the era, Lord Peter Wimsey.  How I loved it when Lord Peter would tell his man, "Launch the Lagonda!" 

But that seemed a little too grand for Daisy and Alex's circumstances, so I decided on a more modest 1922 Morris Bullnose, picked up used for quite a good price.  Indeed, it might figure in a
future mystery.  <g>

So may Daisy drive it in good health to many new adventures!  Thanks so much for visiting us, Carola.  You may now add the initials HWW after your name and titles.

Mary Jo

Comments

[theo]

Oooh, congrats, Carola! Honorary WW is an awesome thing to be :)

[Carola]

Daisy sends many thanks for the car, but wonders where she's going to fit in the twins ;-)

[maryjoputney]

No problem, Carola--it has a rumble seat in back. *g* Or as it was called in Britain in those days, a dickie seat. Plenty of room for the twins and their nanny. Possibly even for Lucy's camera gear, though that's less certain.

Mary Jo

[Judith Laik]

I'm testing. Tried to leave a message for Carola yesterday and couldn't. I love the new car for Daisy. Won't she just feel like the bee's knees tooling around in it (did they have that expression in England or is it only American?)

[Carola]

OED:
tool... 2. slang. To drive (a team of horses, a vehicle, or a person in a vehicle); of a horse, to draw (a person) in a vehicle.
1812 Sporting Mag. Oct. 10/2 She intends to tool the Liverpool expedition to-morrow night. 1840 J. T. J. HEWLETT P. Priggins xv, He would only drive to Benson, and ‘tool’ the down mail back again. 1849 LYTTON Caxtons XIII. iv, He could tool a coach. 1865 DICKENS Mut. Fr. I. xi, She was on most days solemnly tooled through the park..in a great tall custard-coloured phaeton. 1881 JESSOPP Arcady (1887) i. 13 The high-stepping mare that tools him along through the village street. 1882 H. C. MERIVALE Faucit of B. II. II. ii. 158, I tooled the little mare over from Luscombe Abbey{em}the six miles in the half-hour.

Bee's knees, however, is US--first use in that sense 1923--most appropriate ;-)

[Carola]

Sorry 'bout that. You just can't stop a true word wench.