This is from the Post mag, Valentine's Day '03. I'm lazily reposting it by massive popular request (well, my friend Brian Moore asked about it). Every word of it is true, the result of diligent, Jonah Lehrer-like research. I was shocked to find out that my editor didn't know that diarist Samuel Pepys' name is pronounced "Peeps", especially as I'd only learned it the day before. I always thought it was Pep-eez, which is actually a stomach antacid.
I thought "penny dreadfuls" were stories that were published weekly and that cost one penny. Your valentines would have been worth sixpence at least! Although that "yik" one might have gone for a shilling.
ReplyDeleteEntertaining ... and educational!
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