Our Fauntleroy Still Thinks He's Special

Original column by Daniel Ruth, The Tampa Tribune

What He Wrote: "...nosy reporters started asking the Diocletian of the Apalachee Parkway ..."
Obscure Reference: Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, known in English as Diocletian, was Roman Emperor from November, 284 to May, 305. Diocletian's reforms fundamentally changed the structure of imperial government and helped stabilize the empire economically, and his regin was known for the worst persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire since the reign of Nero. The Apalachee Parkway is a major east-west highway in Tallahassee, part of US-27, which starts just east of the Capitol.

What He Wrote: "...as if his reign was one giant Skull & Bones meeting.
Obscure Reference: The Order of Skull and Bones, is a secret society of Yale University upperclassmen. Skull and Bones is known for its extreme secrecy, and members will deny they even belong. As with other Yale societies, the sharing of a personal history is the keystone of the senior year together in the tomb. Presidents G.H.W. Bush, G.W. Bush, and Senator John Kerry are reportedly members.

What He Wrote: "...the Little Lord Fauntleroy of Tallahassee ..."
Obscure Reference: Little Lord Fauntleroy is a still popular children's novel by American author Frances Hodgsen Burnett. The main character, Cedric, is a poor American boy from Broooklyn who learns he is the sole heir to a wealthy British earldom. Cedric Lord Fauntleroy is in line to be the next Earl of Dorincourt. The current Earl of Dorincourt intends to teach his grandson how to be an aristocrat. However, Cedric inadvertently teaches Grandfather that an aristocrat should practice compassion and social justice towards humans in his care.


What He Wrote: "...treating the state's open government laws like they were broccoli on his father's dinner plate."
Obscure Reference: Former President George H.W. Bush, Jeb's father once commented to the press that broccoli is his least favorite vegetable.