[Ads-l] (One for QI, perhaps) "Is your client aware of [legal maxim]" "In [location] they speak of little else"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

A Quote Investigator article based on this conversation thread is now
available. Thanks to Peter for initiating this topic, and thanks to
all the participants here and in other forums. Feedback welcome.

Anecdote Origin: In the Wild Hill Countries from Whence My Client
Comes They Talk of Little Else
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2024/05/16/legal-latin/

[Begin Acknowledgements]
Great thanks to Peter Morris whose inquiry led QI to formulate this
question and perform this exploration. Morris told QI about several
citations beginning in 1968. Thanks to Gareth Rees who located the
important April 1949 citation and several other citations. In
addition, thanks to discussants John Baker and Fred Shapiro. Also,
thanks to previous researcher Nigel Rees who explored this anecdote in
“Cassell’s Humorous Quotations” (2001). Rees mentioned an instance set
in Barnsley and a 1980 citation crediting Sullivan. Further thanks to
discussants at the websites Law Stack Exchange and Literature Stack
Exchange.
[End Acknowledgements]

Garson

On Thu, Apr 25, 2024 at 1:25 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Now, I have been able to access scans of "The Last Serjeant: The
> Memoirs of Serjeant A. M. Sullivan Q.C."
> The person using the fancy Latin phrases was Sir John Chute Neligan,
> Recorder of Cork
>
> [Begin excerpt - please double check for errors]
> Like all gentlemen of the old school, Sir John revelled in Latin
> quotations, which, however, were almost as unintelligible to his
> audience as the new Sinn Fein language is to the Irish people. In East
> Cork the legal profession was passing into the hands of those to whom
> classics were unknown.
> [End excerpt]
>
> The zinger was delivered by Henry Harte Barry as indicated in my
> previous message.
>
> Garson

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