Talk:Ronald Rust

Rust is very reminiscent, in speech, manner and description, of the very same Lord Cardigan, who led the Light Brigade in that renowned headlong dash against Russian artillery at the Battle of Balaclava. (1854)

Cardigan was a typical son of privilege, a baying, drawling, affected dandy not over-burdened with brains, who effectively bought his way up the ladder of rank in the British Army and was one of the explicit reasons why Garnet Wolsey reformed the system to one of a completely professional officer class that would, at least in theory, be selected and promoted on merit only. (In practice, considerations such as background, social standing, education - not so much quality of, but type of - and whether or not you have an independent income over and above the official pay scale, are still important considerations in certain corps and regiments of the British Army today, in 2007...)

Has anyone attempted a sketch of the character, out of interest?--AgProv 12:37, 11 June 2007 (CEST)

I had a few cracks at 'im, but couldn't get the milky-blue stare to be supercilious enough no matter how much i try tried --Knmatt 21:07, 29 October 2007 (CET)

Why not start with a picture of the real Lord Cardigan and basically copy it? HE had the glacial stare, alright!--AgProv 16:58, 8 November 2007 (CET)

"One suspects that the young Terence Pratchett had trouble with someone named Ronald at school." - I added another bad Ronnie to this list (Jenks, the childhood bully from Hogfather), but Terry does give Ronald Saveloy a heroic quality? Kellyterryjones 20:41, 29 October 2007 (CET)

you wonder if Roland, Tiffany Aching's Baron-in-waiting, whose name is a mere anagram away from Ronald, is meant to be part of the same stream? Maybe a Roland is a Ronald with redeeming qualities? --AgProv 16:58, 8 November 2007 (CET)

I've been trying to nail down Ronnie for months. His "milky blue stare", his drawly manner and his habit of looking cold-blooded have proved to be a swine. I hope you think I've done a fair job. -- User:Knmatt

Not a bad job at all! Speaking of aristocratic army officers who use their personal fortunes to enhance the style without bothering too much about the substance, and who led their men to a glorious defeat in which they sustained more causalties than the enemy...

The original owner of the "milky blue stare", his drawly manner and his habit of looking cold-blooded.... a shame the portrait is of him aged seventy, with the whiskers taking over his face...[1]

The same chap, but as he would have looked leading the Light Brigade to a moral victory over those cowardly Russian guns...[2]

Can't help seeing Rust-like qualities in Lord Cardigan! --AgProv 21:55, 13 December 2007 (CET)

Another Roundworld inspiration: Col. John Shelton --Old Dickens (talk) 21:51, 14 November 2015 (UTC)

A tenuous one, but consider:

Rust is created by the oxidation of Iron. I)Ron(nie) Rust: Iron Rust. The name is a comment on the character: the strength of iron, yes, but eroded and corrupted over time until all you see is a flaky, crusty, mass of sharp brittle crystals? (Capable of cutting, yes, but ineffectual if hit in the right place)--AgProv 12:27, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Charlie Rust

Does the Fools' Yearbook give any date or specify which Lord Rust's younger son Charlie is? --Old Dickens (talk) 22:25, 13 July 2016 (UTC)

The intelligence items are dated for August 4th and August 7th respectively (no year) and attributed to "Mad Michael" (Fool in Residence to the Duke of Eorle) and to "Poor Freddie" (House Fool to Lord Rust). The only datable point is that Charlie Rust has borrowed $100,000 from Chrysophrase The Troll who is "getting impatient" concerning repayment. So this little detail might well explain why the Rust succession now goes to the oldest daughter.... AgProv (talk) 23:50, 17 July 2016 (UTC)