Foul Ole Ron

Foul Ole Ron
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Name	Foul Ole Ron
Race	Human
Age
Occupation	Beggar (unlicensed)
Physical appearance	Dirty and smelly, speaking incoherently.
Residence	Mostly under Misbegot Bridge, Ankh-Morpork
Death
Parents
Relatives	His Smell
Children
Marital Status
Appearances
Books	Feet of Clay, Hogfather, Jingo, The Truth
Cameos	Not really a cameo, but his catchphrase "Millennium Hand and Shrimp" is also used in Johnny and the Bomb by Mrs. Tachyon

Foul Ole Ron is a beggar in Ankh-Morpork and a member of the Canting Crew, a group of beggars which other beggars refuse to have anything to do with (even beggars need somebody to look down on). Ron is known for his Smell, so strong the capital letter is fully justified. In fact, Ron's Smell has evolved a personality of its own, and can be found without Ron, attending opera performance or visiting art galleries.

Ron is also known for the phrases "Bugrit!" and "Millennium Hand and Shrimp", whatever that means. He is often accompanied by his thinking-brain dog, Gaspode. Interestingly enough, when under the extra pressure of Elves on top of his usual burdens, the Bursar once started to talk exactly like Ron, necessitating frantic search for the Dried Frog Pills.... (Lords and Ladies)

Another Pratchett character who talks as if she could have an animated and mutually coherent conversation with Ron is Mrs. Tachyon, the mysterious time-travelling bag lady in the Johnny Maxwell series of books. In Johnny and the Bomb, Mrs Tachyon displays a personal familiarity with the phrase "Millennium, Hand And Shrimp!" that will be instantly recognisable to connoisseurs of Ron-speak. It raises the question of where, and from whom, she may have acquired the phrase, on her travels in space-time...

External Links

The secret behind the phrase "Millennium Hand and Shrimp" is revealed in the annotated pratchett files. Of course, like stage magic, it's no fun when you know how it's done.