Camilo José Cela – Leeds's Singing Organ-Grinder

Three classic Francophone tubes I’d never heard of

Boby Lapointe in Ta Katie t’as quitté, Petit Yodé and l’Enfant Siro in Premier jour à Paris, and Zao’s take on Ancien combattant.

Spain and the correct relationship between man and dog

Away with those canine metaphors! More Cela in translation!

Some thoughtful football commentary

… from Ángel González: “¡QUE BARBARO, CRISTINANO SE DESATA! TREMENDO DISPARO A LA ESCUADRA QUE HIZO TEMBLAR EL LARGUERO. POTENCIA Y EFECTO. ESTÁ TENIENDO MÁS MALA SUERTE CARA EL GOL QUE PASCUAL DUARTE EN UNA TOMBOLA DE FERIA.” Cela made a good living from the proverbial, so I hope he’s not turning in his grave…

Man combing Vietnamese pot-bellied pig in Cuenca courtyard

Or perhaps it isn’t.

French exam

I omitted one feasible fraudulent etymology from the Viadós post because the etymon in question is little known and less read, even in his own country, whichever that was. Here he is anyway, in another anecdote from Cela‘s late but frequently excellent A bote pronto: Some 65 years ago, more or less, possibly more, when…

Dogs’ bollocks

A 16th century recipe you may not want to try at home.