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The Israelites, while fleeing from Egypt, were sustained by a divinely provided rain of bread (Exodus 16:4).
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Another Roman saying, coined by Terence (c.190–159 BC): “Fortune aids the brave.”
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For the story of Detritus' helmet, read
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The original proverb is “Give a man a fish and he can eat for a day, teach him to fish and he can eat for the rest of his life.”
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One of the many adventures of Sinbad, in
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From the 4th/5th century Roman writer Vegetius: “Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum” — “Let him who desires peace, prepare for war.”
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The name ‘Hersheba’ (a pun on ‘Hershey Bar’ / ‘Beersheba’) is something that Terry came up with in 1992 on a.f.p., when he was more or less thinking out loud about the many people who didn't get the Djelibeybi reference (a pun on the sweets called ‘Jelly Babies’).
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The troop of entertainers that our heroes become is modelled on the old time Music-Hall team of Wilson, Kepple and Betty, whose act included ‘The Sand Dance’. There's also a nice resonance of names with the Paul Simon song ‘Call Me Al’:
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Since getting into his flowing white robes, Carrot appears to be fast turning into Lawrence of Arabia.
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Vetinari's patter seems to be based on that of the fez-wearing British comedian Tommy Cooper.
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This is, as Vetinari later translates, almost-Arabic for “where the sun shines not”.
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One of the best-known (in the west, at least) works of Arabic literature is
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The joke as adapted by thee goode folkes of alt.fan.pratchett goes like this:
This Klatchian walked into a pub carrying a small piano. He puts in on the bar and has a few drinks. When it comes time to pay up he says to the publican, “I bet you double or nothing I can show you the most amazing thing you ever saw.”
“Okay, but I warn you, I've seen some weird stuff.”