The first rule in buying Christmas presents is to select something shiny. If the chosen object is of leather, the leather must look as if it has been well greased; if of silver, it must gleam with the light that never was on sea or land. This is because the wariest person will often mistake shininess for expensiveness.
P.G. Wodehouse in Louder and Funnier
An interesting approach to Christmas, and one suspects Wodehouse may have had his wife in mind when he devised it. Not having a wife myself, it’s not a rule I’ve ever applied. I’m more inclined to be suspicious of ‘shiny things.’ A shiny thing is often the last thing people see before they exit this world.
What are your rules for present buying?
As a recipient of Christmas gifts, I imagine Wodehouse fitting comfortably in the pipe and slippers line. He was also fond of pot-boilers (if that’s the word I want, Jeeves), so perhaps a copy of Blood on the Banisters, recommended by Cyril Mulliner, or The Herring Seller’s Apprentice by L.C.Tyler , recently reviewed by The Book Jotter).
What gift would you like to have given the great master for Christmas?
Today’s quote comes courtesy of Tony Ring’s The Wit and Wisdom of P.G.Wodehouse. I don’t own a copy of Louder and Funnier, but it would make a lovely Christmas gift.
HP
Source notes
- Cow creamer by Jean L. Schlinghoff of Hanau. c.1900-1900. Image created by Charles J Sharp via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Plumtopia 
One can gift Plum a box of good cigars, to be crumbled and used as tobacco for his pipe, since that was what he enjoyed the most.
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Thanks rudolphscythe, I never knew that!
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I think the ideal Christmas gift for Plum – and one that would have him jumping in joy with his hat on the side of his head, possibly singing a jolly old Irish boating song and thinking the ol’ lark was firmly on the wing and all was right with this world – would be fewer and milder critics, and the fewer and milder they were the better it would be, don’t you know.
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What a lovely thought, a sort of world peace for writers?
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my rule?
Cheapness.
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Lovely, Frank. So succinct.
This year, I’ve wrapped up some of my husband’s old stuff (from boxes under the house that he’s forgotten about). What else do you give the man who has everything? I’ve saved myself a fortune and he’s going to love it.
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A delicious bit of food. Maybe lamb chops with Bookbinder’s soup, oysters, French cheeses, fresh vegetable simply steamed, a creamy potato concoction, followed by my very own lemon squares. I think I might join him.
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Mmmmmm…. getting hungry now Cathy. Sounds heavenly.
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Thank you for the link back to my blog.
Everyone likes something shiny!
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Nice post very Helpful and i love it 🙂
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I think Plum would have liked to be left alone to write, more than anything else!
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Yes, you would have to catch him between writing spells, perhaps during the cocktail hour, or out on the links.
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Reblogged this on Plumtopia: The world of P.G. Wodehouse and commented:
What Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s that time of year again. Here’s one I prepared earlier.
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His favorite form of tobacco after he has tucked into one of those delectable meals dished out by God’s gift to the gastric juices, Anatole. I am resisting the temptation to list out specific dishes, should your hi-tech gizmos – laptop, fablet, etc – get spoiled by the excessive drooling which would inevitably take place, if I were to do so.
Have a great festive season ahead!
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And all the jolly best compliments of the season to you, Ashokbhatia!
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Dear Honoria Plum,
Would it be possible for you to spare some time and let me have an objective and frank view point on the kind of posts such as the one mentioned below? The idea is to keep the Plum Tradition alive. The concern is if such posts would be considered a blasphemy of sorts by fellow Plumtopians?!
http://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2013/12/25/merry-christmas
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Apologies for the delay – I was on holidays. I have reblogged your lovely poem to Plumtopia, with my admiration and thanks for sharing. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I know some fans have strict ideas on how we should express our devotion to Wodehouse, but I’m not a stickler. But I am sure that even the fussiest devotee could not object to your delightful poetry. Very much in the Wodehouse spirit, I thought. Thank you so much for sharing it with me.
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