Which persons did Tolkien think were the reason for the cooling off of his friendship with C. S. Lewis?

Fellow Inkling Charles Williams and Lewis' wife, Joy Davidman. To what extent he was justified in that opinion is a matter for speculation.

That's right, Squatter - your turn!

Of what did Tolkien say "...it does seem such a mad hobby!"?

[ August 08, 2003: Message edited by: The Squatter of Amon Rûdh ]

Ok, i have a trivia question about tolkien...

Tolkien was the leading scholar on the subject of what two precious 14th century poems?

Hint: they were written anonymously, and about 70 miles away from oxford. they both shared the dialect of that region... [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Welcome to the Downs, THE Ka! You need to answer the question correctly before asking a new one - for help, read the rules thread at the top of the quiz forum page. Enjoy yourself here!

He was talking about creating languages, particularly his "nonsense fairy language" (in his own words).

[ August 14, 2003: Message edited by: Kaiserin ]

As he wrote in a letter to his future wife. Absolutely correct.

Okay, new question:

Tolkien, being a philologist and a devout Catholic, was in the team that worked on a certain Bible translation. What Bible translation is this?

[ August 14, 2003: Message edited by: Kaiserin ]

The Jerusalem Bible is the translation in which Tolkien had a part. As he wrote in his letter to the Plimmers in 1967:

The Jerusalem Bible is absolutely right! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Whose collection of Fairy Books did Tolkien compare to "stalls in a rummage-sale"?

Andrew Lang's
From On Fairy-Stories (Andrew Lang lecture to the University of St. Andrews - 8 March 1939)

Quite right, Squatter - you have the floor for the next question.

To which publication did Tolkien write satirically suggesting that the name of Oxford be changed to Doncaster in February 1945?

He wrote to the "Catholic Herald"! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] One of its correspondents got the etymology of Coventry wrong, which annoyed him so much that he made a sarcastic reply. However, he assumed that

It was indeed the Catholic Herald. 'Coventry' derived from 'convent' indeed! Preposterous!

Here's a new question: When and where was Tolkien's last photograph taken?

It was taken on the 9th August 1973 in the Botanic Gardens in Oxford. Tolkien is pictured beside his favourite tree, a Pinus Nigra (see H. Carpenter: JRR Tolkien - A Biography).

Absolutely right, Sir Squatter - I had just read LotR some months earlier... Pray proceed!

Tolkien changed degrees after his first year at Oxford. What was his original course of study and to which subject did he convert later?

[ August 20, 2003: Message edited by: The Squatter of Amon Rûdh ]

More of a guess than anything, but I remember something about Classics to English Lang.?

Well, he actually joined the Honour School of English, which included both language and literature; but only an incurable pedant wouldn't let you have that one. Your turn.

[ August 25, 2003: Message edited by: The Squatter of Amon Rûdh ]

Well, habitually I do not post to express mere approval, so I expect this one to stand during oncoming centuries as a monument and great sample of "what H-I was not usually involved into". But, since I can not stand the temptation this one time and would be glad to say:

<font color="red">Great Idea, this, Annunfuiniel [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

*H-I expects to plunge in soon

Well then, this is your chance to dive right in, then, HI. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Which of Sinclair Lewis' books played an influence on the word "Hobbit"?

That's an oddly structured sentence, but I believe you get the point.

Babbit, presumably.

It's been ten days... I hope nobody minds if I post a new question.

"Taruithorn" is Tolkien's elvish word for what?

[ September 03, 2003: Message edited by: Kaiserin ]

Oxford.

You are right, of course [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Of what speaks the Professor, and where would one find this snippet?

In Tolkien's lecture On Fairy-Stories. He is talking about the realm of Faerie.

Spot on, chap.

What did Tolkien describe as "rationally nonsense, not to mention theologically blasphemous"?

I'm bumping this thread up with a clue: this has to do with one of Tolkien's friends.

The clue was helpful. Tolkien was referring to the concept of "Miserific Vision" as conceived by C.S. Lewis.

From letter 291

That's the answer I was looking for. Like Beowulf, you have the floor. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Cheers, dearest legal-tenant-by-possession.

Tolkien adjudicated a bet over the proper pronounciation of a poet's name. Which poet and what is the pronounciation Tolkien agreed with?

Are you referring, XPhial, to Letter # 61, dated 18 April 1944, where Tolkien complains that he wasted time answering a letter from the Eighth Army, being asked to settle a wager on "how to pronounce the name of the poet Cowper. His full reply is as follows:

P. 72 in my 1995 paperback HarperCollins edition.

*curtsies*

[ September 14, 2003: Message edited by: Bêthberry ]

I am, in fact, referring to that very letter and poet. We await your question Miss Berrydol.

Interesting what flotsam and jetsam one files away, X. I had remembered that bit about Cowper, wondering if the soldiers of the Eighth Army had in fact been thinking of his The Castaway even while they wagered over the more insignificant question of pronounciation.

But as to my question, of what was Tolkien speaking when he said, Many people dislike being arrested? And where did he make his remark?