The Dreaded 'llergy

We had a name for this kind of cold, kind of flu thing when I was growing up in England, Bush. We called it the "dreaded 'llergy." Hard "g". I'm pretty sure the expression came from The Goon Show, which will probably mean nothing to you or to any of our readers. Too young. Besides, I'm not sure that The Goon Show ever crossed the Atlantic. It was a weekly radio event--religiously followed by the faithful--in the madcap British comedy mode that was later introduced over here in the guise of The Monty Python Flying Circus. Featuring Harry Seacombe, Spike Milligan, and the later much better known Peter Sellers, it was a half hour of sheer outrageous laughter--most of which would be unacceptable today because it mercilessly satirized racial types even as it skewered the Brits themselves. One memorable recurring character, as I recall, was General Cash-My-Check; another, a voluble Indian whose name escapes me but whose lilting voice was unforgettably mimicked by Peter Sellers.

All of which is a lead in to the confession that I'm afflicted horribly with the dreaded 'llergy still today, and am deprived not only of energy but also of anything resembling an intelligent thought. And that's a good moment to shut up, I've always thought. It doesn't seem to bother you so very much, Bush. But for me... well, let's call it quits for this Saturday morning.