Day 133: Isn't it rather dangerous to use one's entire vocabulary in a single sentence?-- Francis

Isn't it rather dangerous to use one's entire vocabulary in a single sentence?-- Francis, Oliver and Company

This classy insult comes to us when Sykes's Doberman, Roscoe, tries to flirt with and convince Dodger's Saluki friend, Rita, to join his side instead of stay with Dodger and his crew. Francis, a Shakespeare-and-classical-art-loving bulldog, interjects with this insult to get him to shut up.

Have you ever wanted to tell someone to be quiet in a polite way? This will definitely do it. I'll admit, it's not nice to insult anyone, but the way Francis elegantly does it gives a few good howls.

I must admit, I first picked this one I thought I could easily talk about this one. It turns out I can't, not without going into murky territory. I've always loved this one for its elegance and class. Yet when I think about it, it's not the best ones. It is good for giving someone a second to pause and think about what they've just said, as Roscoe did. Yet it also says that the other person is not very book-smart. So you can see why it's taking me a while to do this post. I know I want to post about it but not much really can be said beyond it's a classy insult.

I'm not sure where Francis got his education because he is part of Dodger's street gang. He loves Shakespeare and is even watching Macbeth on their busted TV when he's first shown, imitating the actor on screen. He also loves Matisse's and Chagall's artworks. He also speaks with a British accent, not a typical New York accent. I am not sure how he became part of Dodger's gang. I can only guess how he did. Since Fagin likes to read to his dogs just before bed, I can assume that's one reason why Francis stays with Fagin. He's also is a lover not a fighter, but will fight if he has to.

Roscoe on the other hand is one of two of Sykes's guard dogs. He's more bark than bite and takes commands a lot better than his partner DeSoto, who's more bite than bark. It's unknown if they are brothers or friends. Roscoe also does not have that large of a vocabulary which is why Francis went after Roscoe's words instead of his brute strength. Sykes is also a man of few words as well, so that is probably where Roscoe learned his words. Where Francis is book-and-street smart, Roscoe is just street smart and it shows in their various encounters, like this one.

So until next time, Keep Cooking with Character.