You don't have to put on the red light

[venta]

Over the course of this weekend, I have finally resolved something which has been puzzling me slightly (but not quite enough to force me to look it up) for years.

I have long been confused about the name Bergerac. I'm vaguely aware that it should be preceded by the names Cyrano and de, and that it relates to a character on the television in the 70s or 80s. I'm aware noses are involved. I've never quite managed to make sense of things people have said about Bergerac.

On Thursday, I heard the first ten minutes of Will Smith[*] on radio 4, presenting "The Tao of Bergerac". Which is a comedy series, only I didn't find it at all funny, hence only hearing ten minutes. Anyway, in that ten minutes one thing became apparent: DI Bergerac, a Jersey detective, has the first name Jim.

Which was good, because it led to a sudden revelation: DI Jim Bergerac and Cyrano de Bergerac are different people. Which was good, because I thought Cyrano de Bergerac was a historial figure, and thus unlikely to be solving crimes in late nineteenth century Jersey. It did give me another problem, though. Who exactly was Cyrano ? I wasn't even sure whether he was a historical figure or a fictional character.

A bit of poking about on line reveals that actually... well, kind of both. He was a 17thC playwright, but is now mostly known via various more-or-less fictional plays and stories written around his life. In the best known of which he is portrayed as having a very large nose - this formed the basis of the plot for the film Roxanne, which I believe I saw many years ago. Cyrano has absolutely nothing to do with the TV detective.

So that's that all sorted out then. All I need to work out now is why I was so convinced that the name Simone de Beauvoir was strongly linked with Cyrano de Bergerac in my mind. Since she lived 300 years later, I'm guessing they probably weren't a couple after all.

[*] That's Will Smith the Jersey-born Bergerac obsessive, not the Fresh Prince guy.

Comments

[sushidog.livejournal.com]

All I need to work out now is why I was so convinced that the name Simone de Beauvoir was strongly linked with Cyrano de Bergerac in my mind.
Same middle name? :-)

[thegreenman.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that.

What does the big letter E next to the weight on a packet or tin mean?

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

"When this symbol appears after a weight or volume, it means that the weight or volume of each pack may vary slightly, but the figure shown will be an accurate average."

[thegreenman.livejournal.com]

Ta

[venta.livejournal.com]

It means they don't guarantee that it actually weighs or measures that much :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estimated_sign

[mejoff.livejournal.com]

"late nineteenth century Jersey"
Twentieth, surely?

[venta.livejournal.com]

Bother :(

I always make that mistake.

[thegreenman.livejournal.com]

It would be rather amusing to see Jim racing round Jersey in a police brougham in a top hat though...

[ewx.livejournal.com]

a sudden revelation: DI Jim Bergerac and Cyrano de Bergerac are different people

While I don't envy the not knowing as such, I do slightly envy the opportunity to have that revelation.

[mrlloyd.livejournal.com]

Now, go to the DVD store (or more likely Amazon) and aquire a copy of Cyrano de Bergerac, one of the best, most romantic films ever made, and one of the few things to make me with I actually spoke French.

Then you'll never get Gerard Depardieu mixed up with John Nettles again.

(I once saw John Nettles in Anthony and Cleopatra, and so get DI Jim Bergerac mixed up with Octavian Ceaser, but that's just me I think...)

[ar-gemlad.livejournal.com]

Aye - I like the Gerard Depardieu film very much!

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

I was so convinced that the name Simone de Beauvoir was strongly linked with Cyrano de Bergerac in my mind.

The Beauvoir/Bergerac fandom starts here!

Although it might take a while to take off what with them having different genders. As I understand it that's a way more serious impediment than a few hundred years' separation.

[marjory.livejournal.com]

Never mind!

dr_mitch was fully convinced that the Woodstock Festival took place in the place outside Oxford. I thought he was joking, realised he wasn't, laughed hard and then explained slightly more kindly. Obviously, I have no misconceptions of my own, nonononono...

The first time I came across the Cyrano de Bergerac story was in a book of world folk tales and it was called Riquet with the Tuft. So when I heard the C de B story I was not vastly impressed that it was the same story with different names inserted, being a fierce sort of child.

[waistcoatmark.livejournal.com]

If it's any consolation, I only realised on reading your post that they had the same name, despite being fully aware of their works and even having seen the odd minute or two of them.

So we appear to have cancelled each other out.

[cardinalsin.livejournal.com]

Huh, that's weird - until I read this I thought you and venta were the same person. I've never seen you in the same room together... <shrug>