Slightly Muddled by Lindelea
Aranel of the Golden Flower · 28 October 2006 · Chapter 1: Slightly Muddled
At the mo I am more than 'slightly muddled' I don't understand a word of what Sam is saying, does anyone? do americans all go around speaking like that?
Author's reply
Sorry to have missed replying to this review. Just now saw it. Um. I don't think all americans go around speaking like that. I certainly hope not. But it was fun to cram as much as possible into the story and see if I could get away with it...
Elanor1013 · 16 March 2006 · Chapter 6: Mostly Clear, with Occasional Muddles
I'm reading on a link from GMA. This is hilarious. What a dig at misused language. :)
Author's reply
Belated reply: Sorry about that. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a note.
Mariole · 19 February 2006 · Chapter 8: Coming Soon!
Lindelea, this was extremely silly, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I loved Strider's stuffy use of "anachronos" for muddlewort, and Sam's silly "Master of Disaster yourself, you know. And you're no pipsqueak, Mr Pippin." With such moving lines as 'Jeepers creepers, open up those peepers,' this is destined to become a classic of h/c. Well done!
Author's reply
Thanks so much for your feedback! I just now saw this review. I don't know what's up with my email, but sometimes I'll go thru an old story and find reviews I don't remember ever seeing before. "classic of h/c" *snork* Thanks again!
Ariel · 19 February 2006 · Chapter 8: Coming Soon!
*Groan* OK, it was cute and I was in a 'I want to just be enteretained tonight' mood. Perfect fare for such an occasion, Lin. Very cute.
Author's reply
I know, punning is the lowest form of humour. And we used to do a lot of it around the dinner table. At the moment I'm even too brainless for "I want to just be entertained tonight". But thanks for the belated smile!
rabidsamfan · 16 February 2006 · Chapter 8: Coming Soon!
Working my way through the Golden Mushroom Nominees and hit this one... I would have laughed my head off if my throat weren't so sore, and as it was I grinned at the computer through every chapter. Wonderful!
Author's reply
Oh, well, was glad to have distracted you from your sore throat. I trust it's much better by now. (For some reason I didn't get any of the reviews left during this time, sorry for the much-belated reply.)
Ariel · 16 February 2006 · Chapter 3: Very Muddled, Indeed
*Snort* You know, I don't like to think I do this, but it's terribly funny when you read them all presented this way.
Author's reply
It was lots of fun thinking them up at the time, too.
Ariel · 16 February 2006 · Chapter 1: Slightly Muddled
Hehehe! Reading what I can of the GM noms... I know I have only read a fraction of your copious works, but they are all on my list of 'authors to read'. This is positively hilarious! I am delighted the GMs brought it to my attention!
Author's reply
Sheesh. I revisit this as I am in avoidance mode and find reviews left months ago, that I never saw and never answered. Hah! And so, muchly belated thanks. (Sorry about the beta we were discussing... I sort of got distracted by an old friend with a birthday request. Got any new betas?)
Eruviluieth · 6 February 2005 · Chapter 8: Coming Soon!
This is brilliant! Excellent and hilarious! I especially loved the Star Trek references in ch. 5. I was waiting for them to sing "I know a song that get on everybody's nerves" if anyone else even knows that one. I'm not too purist about Tolkien's language, and, combining that with being an unfortunately Americanized Canadian, I couldn't catch all the slang in the first two or three chapters. The others would react to something the hobbits said and I would be left wondering what they said that was odd. The phrases were just so familiar that I can't imagine them not being used throughout the English-speacking world. Or is it meant to be just not in the Tolkien-English-speaking world? Great story and great laugh, at any rate. Loved the dogwood and cattail confusion. "Pippin fell in the well?" - priceless!
Author's reply
Well, thanks for stopping by and leaving a good word! (probably meant to be just not in the Tolkien-English-speaking world. OTOH, think of the line from My Fair Lady: There are even some places where English has completely dissapeared: In America they haven't used it for years!)
Galimeril · 22 November 2004 · Chapter 6: Mostly Clear, with Occasional Muddles
He HE he HE! I had no idea how much slang there really is. This is just hillarios! How in Middle Earth do you come up with this stuff? Great piece! Gaimeril
Author's reply
Insomnia, mostly. I can get really punchy from lack of sleep, or so it seems.
Chibi-kaz · 14 October 2004 · Chapter 7: Muddling On Along
LOL! Somehow I suspect Boromir is plotting something. With all that fodder (and the earlier-displayed tendency to pick things up quickly), he must be intending on torturing someone!
Author's reply
Hmmm. Is muddlewort catching, perhaps? Or the absurdity it generates? I always suspected he had a humorous streak because he seemed to get on so well with the hobbits, at least in the film.
docmon · 2 September 2004 · Chapter 8: Coming Soon!
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are too much! And when Pippin tells Frodo he's afraid Gandalf will turn him into a toad, Pippin says: 'He'll probably wait until we get back to the Shire,' Frodo said comfortingly. 'After all, a toad couldn't carry many supplies, could he?' just hilarious!
Author's reply
Goodness, another review that I never saw until now! I grew up with older brothers who were every bit as comforting as Frodo... Thanks so much for leaving a comment!
Beruthiel · 21 August 2004 · Chapter 8: Coming Soon!
LMAO!!! Hee hee, this is too funny! *snort, giggle* You have sparked my curiosity. Just what *does* Sam have in that pack . . ? Mustn't let my relatives see this. My love of cats is well known in the family, and some smartass cousins might think it amusing to try Sam's tea on me. Fortunately, cattails don't grow around here. (Dogwood, however . . .) Poor, poor Leggie. Gimli'll never let him live this down.
Author's reply
Would you believe I just now saw this? Don't know why my email was so erratic around this time... Did you know that you can actually use cattail pollen like flour in things like muffins, pancakes and biscuits? The only caveat is to use a little bit at first to find out if you're allergic to it. Evidently if you have hay fever it can make you pretty miserable. Dogwood, eh? Sam has *everything* in his pack, of course! (Except rope.)
barb :) · 21 August 2004 · Chapter 7: Muddling On Along
That's seriously funny. Way to be angsty without losing the laughing. However, I think my roommates now think I'm insane for laughing out loud at least 5 times for no apparent reason ;)
Author's reply
Music to my ears. It worked!
Auntiemeesh · 20 August 2004 · Chapter 7: Muddling On Along
I kept waiting for someone to start singing Henry the eighth. "Second verse, same as the first." Ah, Gandalf the cruel, we should call him. It's just plain mean to torture Pippin with that threat. The poor lad was inadvertantly under the influence of foul drugs when he made that comment. Of course, Pippin is doing his fair share of the torturing, teasing Frodo about the singing. I'm looking forward to the video preview :)
Author's reply
'enery the eighth I am, I am! (and now that's sounding at the back of my brain) Ah, well, turnabout is fair play, as they say. I'm so glad you enjoyed the story.
Auntiemeesh · 20 August 2004 · Chapter 6: Mostly Clear, with Occasional Muddles
'How long will it go on?' the Elf said. 'O, another seventy-five bottles or so, I'd say,' Boromir said, taking another bite of his stew. LOL! Boromir's much quicker in the uptake than Legolas, isn't he? And poor Pippin, just sitting there waiting to be turned into a toad. This really is too funny :D
Author's reply
To be fair, Boromir's already had at least one run-in with muddlewort. Whereas Legolas is from a Northern land and probably never heard of the stuff before. Unless Thranduil or one of the others who returned to Mirkwood from the earlier battle with Sauron brought back tales about the stuff, either second- or first-hand...
Dreamflower · 20 August 2004 · Chapter 7: Muddling On Along
Still at it with the ear-worms, huh? Well, at least you spared us "The Song that Never Ends" and "Little Bunny Foo-Foo". This has been a "laff riot"! I almost hate to see it come to an end! (Maybe a sequel?)
Author's reply
Little bunny foo-foo! That would have been perfect for this story! As for a sequel... Whew. This one was exhausting. I swear I wracked my brains. (Or maybe I racked them?) (((hugs)))
Dreamflower · 20 August 2004 · Chapter 6: Mostly Clear, with Occasional Muddles
99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall! OMG! not only have you poisoned them with muddlewort, but you've infected them with ear-worms! You evil child! *snort*snicker*chuckle* 99 bottles of beer on the wall...
Author's reply
Oh no, the dreaded ear-worms.... And now I'm trying to imagine what kind of ear-worm you would have come up with. I'm sure you would have thought of a good one for hobbits! Maybe an ear-worm with food for a topic...? (((hugs)))
Bodkin · 20 August 2004 · Chapter 7: Muddling On Along
I've just had a horrible thought that justifies the sad end of Boromir, Son of Gondor. If he had returned to his homeland, he would have taught all these horrible songs to the soldiers he captained - and the WHOLE OF GONDOR would have been singing them! Aragorn would have been driven insane. The Reunited Kingdom would have fallen. Sauron would have been revived. All because there were ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall with their ears hanging low. . . Very amusing. I like the way that, once better, they cannot remember how they were. Unfortunately Gandalf, Gimli, Aragorn, Legolas and Boromir can.
Author's reply
Such a dismal possible future as you've predicted here. Yikes! Maybe I won't write an AU where Boromir survives... (For another reason, I've read a couple of excellent such AUs, so I don't have to keep trying to work out the scenario for myself.) Thanks so much for hitting the high points!
RogerGamgee · 20 August 2004 · Chapter 7: Muddling On Along
This just keeps getting better...but I can't help but wonder if Boromir hasn't been affected by the muddlewort as well. At least they manage to harmonize! This has been one of the funniest fics I've read in some time. I'm looking forward to the final chapter to see what Legolas has planned. It should be a doozy! (LOL)
Author's reply
Such high praise! I appreciate the words of encouragement. Relatively-easygoing-Boromir came about in my imagination from watching the part of the film where he was training the hobbits in Hollin, I think it was, and if I'm remembering right, the hobbits ended up tackling him, and they all had a wrestling match, I think.
Breon Briarwood · 19 August 2004 · Chapter 6: Mostly Clear, with Occasional Muddles
*LMAO!* This is just too funny! Watching them get affected and recovering at different rates is great. Can't wait for more. :D
Author's reply
Second-to-last chapter (#7) posted. Thanks for stopping by!
Bodkin · 19 August 2004 · Chapter 6: Mostly Clear, with Occasional Muddles
I like Boromir's last remark. It sounds just the way I feel about joyous ditties like Ten Green Bottles and One Man Went to Mow.
Author's reply
"joyous ditties"! snarf! (chortle) Thanks.
RogerGamgee · 19 August 2004 · Chapter 6: Mostly Clear, with Occasional Muddles
Oh my god....this is priceless! I was cracking up over all these slang references. 'You da man!' 'Excedrin headache number fifty seven'....makes me nostalgic for the 1980s all over again. I wonder if Legolas is going to pull something before they finish their song. Keep up the great work!
Author's reply
No, the Legolas-torment is scheduled to take place in Chapter 8, which I hope to post on the morrow. Thanks!
pebbles66 · 19 August 2004 · Chapter 6: Mostly Clear, with Occasional Muddles
This has been a really funny story. My daughter doesn't like fanfics, but I've been reading bits and pieces of this to her. Looking forward to more.
Author's reply
Well, glad we could sort of *ease* your daughter into appreciating fanfic... Thanks!
Auntiemeesh · 18 August 2004 · Chapter 5: Partly Muddled, with Signs of Clearing Towards Morning
Oh my god! Like, totally radical, dude! This last bit so totally took me back to my early teens. Yay! Merry's turned the corner! Hopefully the worst of the effects will wear off soon and the others will be able to understand the hobbits again (at least as much as they ever understand the hobbits).
Author's reply
LOL. The hobbits will never cease to surprise them. Now you get to see the effects of the muddlewort wearing off at different rates (just as it manifested itself). We aim for realism in the midst of absurdity... Thanks for commenting!
Lamiel · 18 August 2004 · Chapter 5: Partly Muddled, with Signs of Clearing Towards Morning
"'Dammit, Jim, I'm a hobbit, not a doctor!" Snort! And then later, "He's dead, Jim" - ha! Laughed and laughed. Oh, but there actually is some real angst in here, yet the way those poor hobbits express their angst is so, so funny. Brilliant.
Author's reply
Yes, it's fun to try to write just as close to canon as possible while doing... odd things... and making them sound almost plausible. Thanks!