Pretty SWIFT, eh? November 9, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Magick & Mystery, Mindfulness.comments closed
BFF and I watched Jeopardy’s Tournament of Champions this evening.
Alex Trebek announced the Final Jeopardy category . . . “18th Century Authors.” As the players made their wagers, I said, “Jonathan Swift.”
“Jonathan Swift, what?”
“That’s going to be the answer.”
“Yeah, right. Alex hasn’t even read the clue yet.”
“I know, but the answer is going to be: Who is Jonathan Swift?”
BFF refused to believe I could know the answer before seeing the clue. So, he made what he assumed to be a safe wager: “If you’re right, I’ll take off my clothes and streak through the living room three times.”
After the commercial break, Alex revealed the clue. The exact wording escapes me, but here’s a close paraphrase:
He created a character Cadenus, an anagram of Decanus, for Dean.
Stumped, BFF said, “Well, Sherlock? Do you have an answer?”
The clue didn’t ring any bells. I’d never heard of a character called Cadenus. I stood pat, “I already told you, the answer is . . . Jonathan Swift.”
“Yeah, right.”
“That’s my answer.”
The first contestant wagered everything he had on “Thackery.” He ended up with nothing.
The second and third contestants both had the correct answer . . . Who is Jonathan Swift? They made it into the quarter finals.
BFF looked over, “How did you DO that?”
I grinned, “I don’t know. I just knew I knew. Pretty SWIFT, eh?”
I often know answers on Jeopardy that I can’t consciously explain . . . but this is the first time I knew the answer BEFORE Alex revealed the clue.
Aah . . . the marvelous synchronicities and mysteries of the Universe.
When we know what we cannot know . . . we’ve seen a glimpse beyond the veil.
From Google Answers:
As early as 1713, Swift wrote a long poem called “Cadenus and
Vanessa”. It is an autobiographical poem about his relationship with
Esther Vanhomrigh, in which he uses the name “Cadenus” as a pseudonym for himself. Swift created the name “Cadenus” from an acronym of the Latin word “decanus” (dean), and Jonathan Swift was in fact the dean of the Anglican St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin from 1713 to 1742. And Vanessa, the character who represented Esther Vanhomrigh in the poem, got her name by combining the “Van” from “Vanhomrigh” with “Essa”, a pet form of “Esther”.
BFF reneged on his wager . . . I knew he would. 😉
Thought to Ponder: The quieter your mind becomes . . . the more you hear.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Related posts: Sometimes You Just Know * What If? What If? What If? * Winks, Whispers, and Nudges
Spirit Lights The Way 