Catholic Trivia

Illustrated throughout by the well-known Catholic
artist and cartoonist John Ryan (inventor of Captain
Pugwash), Catholic Trivia sets itself to reclaim
the hidden history of Catholicism in Britain. Many
common words and expressions, place names, pub
signs, diseases and customs betray the deep influence
of the Catholic Church on our national consciousness,
despite every attempt to root it out. Not without a
gleam in the eye, Mark Elvins reveals the origins of
saluting the quarter deck and kissing the papal toe,
of Charing Cross and Covent Garden, of kicking the
bucket and going on the dole. From the sublime to
the ridiculous, he collects a treasury of information
with a multitude of uses, for the conversationalist or the
student of history, for the devout, the undevout
or the quiz-show host.
There is a joy about being a Catholic - and this informative
book is a joyful and fascinating celebration of the sayings
and quirks derived from the Faith.