[ApK]

Originally Posted by tompe

That was how I read it. But checking:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-lanc...plain/A3533609



That makes me wonder what I am missing.

Nothing. I read that as the author of that article making a pun out of Arthur Dent's name to illustrate pun construction. Nothing suggests Douglas Adams ever did so. That line about "marking it badly" (the context for the second meaning) was not from the book. He appears to have chosen Aurthur Dent merely as an homage to HHGTTG, he may as easily have chosen to illustrate with his own name, or John Smith, if he could have come up with a pun.*

ApK

* I can:
"Do you know a 'John Smith'?"
"Why? Do you need a toilet built?"

I'm here all week. Try the veal.