Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2020 January 19

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January 19

Guy Beringer(s)

Our article Brunch reports that this word and concept was coined in 1895 by British journalist Guy Beringer. During the 1905 revolution, a Reuters journalist named Guy Beringer reported from Russia, and stayed on duty there until the 1917 revolution, when he was jailed by the Bolsheviks. Was the brunch creator the same person as the reporter working in Russia? Not even Reuters seems to know. Any insights? Cullen³²⁸ Let's discuss it 04:39, 19 January 2020 (UTC)

• @Mathmitch7 and Billinghurst: wikisource:Author:Guy_Oscar_Beringer wikidata:Q66816921
• Merchant Taylors' School Jan. 1885 - 1890 b. 5 Jan. 1873[1] Petrograd address
• c. 1902-4 Bohemian living in a bedroom at Reuter's, survived for weeks eating from a large barrel of "slightly damaged" anchovies.[2]
• "died from his treatment at the hands of the Bolsheviks"[3] is suspicous
• son of Prof. Oscar Beringer musician, entered service of Reuters 1892, prison 6 months in Moscow, undoubtedly adversely affected his health[4]
• "son of Mr Oscar Beringer, the well-known dramatist, was married yesterday...Miss Edith Holland [Henry Holland & Mr.s James Wason]"[5] it's "Caroline Edith" on the probate from wikidata. probably meant Mrs. Oscar Beringer rather than "Mr."
• "Reuter's correspondent, Guy Beringer, was a permanent stand-by; he was settled in Petersburg, and he and his wife served as a social centre for us; he was very expert in the amusing abbreviations which he invented to save space in his telegrams, such as 'the crowd ran rabbitly.'" Pares, Bernard (1931). My Russian Memoirs. p. 114.
• "Guy Beringer, who had visited Roumania before me, described the country in a word as Ruritania. I have since asked Sir Anthony Hope whether this was his model for the Prisoner of Zenda, but to my surprise he told me that he did not know any of these countries; if so, his was a wonderful guess." Ibid. p. 408
• He attended the journalism "school" of David Anderson Waller, Philip (2006). Writers, Readers, and Reputations: Literary Life in Britain, 1870-1918. p. 400. It would be fun to connect Guy and Miss Edith to "A long betrothal" "A School of Journalism". T.P.'s Weekly. October 9, 1903.[6] Waller clearly cites that article for Beringer attending the school, but he is not mentioned by name.
• here claims Margaret B. WrightWright, Margaret B. (August 22, 1895). "Lunch at Oxford". The Independent., (probably serialized Hired Furnished) predates and has November 5, 1895 for "Brunch: a plea" Charles Henry Conrad Wright, B.A. from Oxford 1895 @Suslindisambiguator:
• Hunter's Weekly seems difficult to find, but someone uploaded an undated clipping to Archive[7] (linked from wikisource) Listed in printed catalogues[8] for The British Museum but not showing up online[9]
• Yesterday, the autobiography of Robert Hichens looks promising from the snipped view. Supposedly there are references to Anderson's school and the basement restaurant in Felix
• Hunter's Weekly does not look like a sportsman's magazine as many are reporting[10] There's a David Hunter of University of Edinburgh listed[11] as publisher of Hunter's Weekly but the date given is 1898, not 1895-6 "From the Newsman, a page of personal paragraphs by half-a-dozen well-known social writers."

Looks like a DYK: "'I tell you that nothing is going to happen in this forsaken country. I can't see a particle of use in being miserable in Petrograd. It's a good time for me to go to the Crimea for a holiday' The door opened...It's begun...The Cossacks are charging the crowds in the streets...Revolution"[12]. Get your Reuters authors to go to the British Museum and see if "Brunch: a plea" is under "From the Newsman" so it can have a better hook.—eric 17:58, 19 January 2020 (UTC)

I think it's pretty obvious that the Reuters Guy Beringer penned "Brunch: a plea". The character of the weekly as advertised, "an illustrated history of the hour": author W. W. Jacobs, illustrators Alfred Bryan, brothers Penrhyn Stanlaws and Sydney Adamson, and "Yorick"(Edwin Austin Abbey). Not a "sportsman's magazine", but humorous, dramatic and literary—see the Beringer family. No evidence of any other Guy Beringers in print, a section "From the Newsman": the only reason there is a question is because Reuters questioned it and now they are the only ones who can give an answer.

As to "coining the term", that's a an uncertain claim, despite being "very expert in the amusing abbreviations." It's probably Oxford schoolboy slang, and David Anderson says that there were Oxford and Cambridge at his London School of Journalism, 70% of London reporters from either with most from Oxford. First in print depends on the date in Hunter's Weekly, i can't find the November 5, 1895 (Tuesday[13] is correct) from wordhistories.net, and that blogger's goal is to debunk existing etymologies. Either way, there's lots for a nice and quirky article: "Russia is all right"[14][15], "inventor of posh 'brunch' dines daily on bad anchovies", and his journalism "education".—eric 13:34, 20 January 2020 (UTC)

Why are we here?

If we told you, we'd have to kill you.

What is the meaning of life? 68.129.97.180 (talk) 18:14, 19 January 2020 (UTC) We're here because our respective parents conceived us. As to the meaning of life, read Meaning of life for some possible insights. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 18:37, 19 January 2020 (UTC) Reproduction. But I suspect they're asking "How can I find meaningful goals and personal happiness," which are different questions. Temerarius (talk) 01:27, 20 January 2020 (UTC) Citation needed that this is even a valid question. You are assuming that life has a meaning. --Khajidha (talk) 01:31, 20 January 2020 (UTC) It's actually a trolling question that pops up here from time to time. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 02:38, 20 January 2020 (UTC) "Try to be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations." Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 09:05, 20 January 2020 (UTC) 42!... nah. Wrong question Blueboar (talk) 11:35, 20 January 2020 (UTC) Yup, 42 and may I suggest that we 86 the question as a troll? Thanks. Anton 81.131.40.58 (talk) 13:50, 20 January 2020 (UTC) There is currently no consensus regarding the definition of Life which Wikipedia calls "a characteristic that distinguishes physical entities that have biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased (they have died), or because they never had such functions and are classified as inanimate." But Life may also refer to these other things. DroneB (talk) 14:18, 20 January 2020 (UTC) We're here because we're here because we're here because we're here... DuncanHill (talk) 17:10, 20 January 2020 (UTC) Alternatively, as Doug Supernaw sang, "We're all here, 'cause we're not all there". --Khajidha (talk) 20:39, 20 January 2020 (UTC) Turtles all the way down? Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 21:00, 20 January 2020 (UTC) And "biology" means "the science of life".[16] Though I don't think the OP's question is about the definition of the word. It's about trying to generate debate, and hence this section should be boxed up and/or deleted. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 17:23, 20 January 2020 (UTC)