Ripley's Believe It or Not by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! for November 12, 2022

Hold on, I’m pretty sure I shared that turnip fact myself a few weeks ago! Although, I think it was in the comments of a different strip. That particularly creepy-looking one on the left is actually a fairly accurate representation of the early lanterns.

Fun fact about Jethro Tull (a band I really like): Early in their career, they would change their band name regularly so that they could play at the same venue multiple times. By the time they got popular enough to want to be recognized, they were stuck with a nearly random name (named after an early 18th century agriculturist) that nobody in the band particularly liked.

Wonder why the Irish use potatoes?

A carved turnip could have a more eerie human-looking face than a pumpkin, thus better for warding off evil spirits.

Life of Brian;

Best scene; The stoning.

A scene I can really relate to; The latin graffiti grammar correction. (Catholic school)

All in all, it’s just thick as a brick in a wall of the castle I will take you to.

Monty Smith

Monty has five letters in his first name…He has 5 letters in his second name…

He has lived his entire life at 555 West 55th StreetIn NYC

And worked his entire career at Saks 5 Avenue

He met his wife in Fifth Grade..

He has 5 kids and owns 5 cars…

Needless to say, he has a thing for the number 5

One day at the track, running in the 5th race, in the 5th position is a horse called Numero Cinco…

He says to himself… OMG this is it …He runs to the bank and puts his life saving on this horse…

Would you believe, the forking horse came in

FIFTH!!!!!!

I heard George Harrison had a hand in financing the movie as well.

George Harrison financed Monty Python’s The Life of Brian.

And the Jill-O’-Lanterns were carved out of O’Leary’s last will and testament.

Take care, may initially avoided, shunned, and vilified yet later loved by millions baby tickler uncle Fred “Peek-A-Boo!” Rogersord be with you, and gesundheit.

The Monty Python artwork is clever. With the prism (Floyd), the flute player (Tull) and the runes on the cup (LZ)

Turnips are already scarier than pumpkins.

this most recent Halloween, I made a turnip jack-o’-lantern

Did Monty Python have to throw parties for several of the Navajo babies? Or were the babies thinking I guess you need to be an adult to think that’s funny?

she turned me into a mute, I got better

In Irish lore, one Stingy Jack,

A lazy blacksmith, had a knack

For trickery. He asked Old Scratch

To drink with him and turn to cash

To pay for it. The devil did,

And Jack picked up the coin and hid

It in his pocket near a cross

Of silver, trapping like a boss.

He asked to spend the coming year

Without a visit, much less fear

That if he died, his soul would go

To hell. The devil promised so,

And Jack released him. One year passed,

And then they met again at last.

Jack asked the fiend to climb a tree

To grab some fruit, and that’s when he

Engraved a cross within the bark.

(That devil really lacked a spark

Of intellect.) This time Jack said

To leave him be ten years instead.

Within those years, Jack passed away,

But with his sins, he couldn’t stay

In heaven, so he went in search

Of someplace where his soul could perch.

The only item Jack would take:

A turnip carved so he could make

A lantern with a fading ember.

Afterward, folks might remember,

Taking pity on his soul

With veggie lanterns for his stroll.

They’ve used potatoes, larger beets,

And pumpkins all along the streets.

—me

Nobody eats turnips,so they had to use them for something!!