Happy Guy Fawkes Day!
Guy Fawkes appears in the 2002 List of "100 Great Britons" (sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public), alongside such other greats as David Beckham, Aleister Crowley, Winston Churchill and Johnny Rotten. Cynical Britons are sometimes known to ironically comment that Guy Fawkes was the only man to go to Parliament with honourable intentions.In an interesting example of semantic progression, Guy Fawkes has become immortalised by one of the most common words in the English language, particularly in American spoken English. The burning on 5 November of an effigy of Fawkes, known as a "guy," led to the use of the word "guy" as a term for "a person of grotesque appearance" and then to a general reference for a man, as in "some guy called for you." In the 20th century, under the influence of American popular culture, "guy" gradually replaced "fellow," "bloke," "chap" and other such words in that country; the practice is spreading throughout the English-speaking world. (source)
For your consideration:
- Britannia article on Mr. Fawkes
- Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night
- BBC News "Halloween v Guy Fawkes Day"
- Google search results
