Saturday, 7 November 2015

Why is 'Belgium' the rudest word in Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

Back in the late 70s/early 80s in the UK there was a meme doing the rounds that Belgium was the most boring country in Europe. For example there was a joke:




Name five famous Belgians - not including Hercule Poirot




Poirot is, of course, fictional - the point being there are no well know famous Belgians¹.



I would guess, though I know of no documentary evidence for this, that this is why Adams chose Belgium as the rudest word. It fits with his taste for the absurd.



¹ before I get flamed, this says more about the English than the Belgians

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