Talk:Curate's egg

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[edit] (Untitled)

Eggs are never partly bad. If something is a 'Curate's egg' it is wholly awful. It is only described as "excellent in parts" because of political constraint or the inferior's wish to flatter. When used properly (e.g. in letters to newspapers about new legislation) the phrase implies that any positive comments that attempt to mitigate the faults are worthless. Posted by Anon user on: 192.102.214.6

I'm not sure that I agree with this statement - and it is certainly not how the phrase is used in the media - or by me! The curate's egg 07:25, 2 September 2005 (UTC)

Wholly awful would, I agree, have described the egg, and the curate describing it otherwise a matter of political constraint; but that is not how the expression is now used. Even where the speaker fears offending no-one, the appeal of such a quaint and delicate expression over it stunk is a lightly intoxicating one.

Nuttyskin 00:05, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Explanation for edits

My edit served the following purposes:

• Reduce the image size per guidelines (pictures should not be wider than 400 px)
• Add a caption providing context and title per guidelines
• Format periodical name per MoS title guidelines
• Bypass a redirect and link directly to the relevant article.

By all means revert if you feel these edits are in error, but please explain why they're damaging the article. --Muchness 10:06, 24 January 2006 (UTC)

My gripe was that the narrative to the picture just duplicated what was already set out in the article - the revised version looks fine. Brookie :) - a collector of little round things! ^(Talk!) 10:48, 24 January 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the explanation. I originally added it because I wanted to reproduce the exact caption from the original publication, but you're right, it was redundant. --Muchness 11:17, 24 January 2006 (UTC)

No problemo! Brookie :) - a collector of little round things! ^(Talk!) 14:27, 27 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Phrase used in Punch?

From the article:

"The phrase first appeared in a cartoon in the humorous British magazine Punch on 9 November 1895. Drawn by George du Maurier and entitled "True Humility", it pictured a timid-looking curate taking breakfast in his bishop's house."

Just educated guessing on my part but... That is not true; the phrase came about as a reference to the du Maurier cartoon? --Charles Gaudette 21:47, 29 August 2006 (UTC)