No idea where this came from; a plot bunny jumped out of the dishwasher, bit me on the ankle, then shot under the bottom drawer before I could identify it.

They're not mine.


Non Timebo Curculionis

Bobby remembered it for years afterwards, for a number of reasons.

Sam was the one who enjoyed cryptic crosswords, word puzzles and brain teasers for which his big brother had no interest or patience. And where Dean had ever had cause to learn the word was beyond him...

It started when Dean was making breakfast; he had woken up with a yen for pancakes, and had dug what ingredients he could out of Bobby's cupboards. He was humming happily as he measured out flour when Sam wandered in.

"Dean, what are you doing?!"

"Making pancakes, Sammy! If you're good, I'll share with you."

"No, I mean, what are you doing using that flour?"

"Well, you need flour to make pancakes. Where did you think pancakes come from? Mummy pancakes and Daddy pancakes doing Special Cuddles? Yeah, admittedly, there's egg involvement, but..."

"That's not what I meant, jerk - I mean, that flour has a bug in it! Look!"

"Where?"

"There!"

"That?" Dean had peered at the offending speck in the mix. "Nah, that's just a chunk of husk or something."

"Dean, it's a bug! There's a bug in that flour!"

"It's a piece of husk, bitch. You're the one who's always telling me how good this wholemeal stuff is for me, and that I should get more fibre in my diet."

"Dean, bugs do not count as fibre!"

"It's not a bug. It's just extra flour stuff. Anyway, it'll sift out."

Sam was not convinced. "Dean, you canNOT use flour that's infested."

"One alleged bug does not an infestation make, Sam."

"Look, what if it IS a bug? What if it's not the only one? What if there's other bits of broken up bug through the flour? What if it's been in there, eating the flour and crapping as it goes? What if it's carrying a disease or something? What if it's laid eggs in there? Aren't you worried about any of that?"

And then, it had happened...

With a deadly serious mien, Dean had turned to his brother and intoned sonorously:

"Non timebo curculionis."

With a yodel of outraged sensibilities, Sam yelled "You are so going to Hell for that!" at Dean's grinning face, and stalked out of the kitchen.

Bobby agreed with Dean that, even if it was an insect, the occasional bug in the flour never did a body any harm.

However, he could also sympathise with Sam, because it was, in Bobby's humble judgement, the Worst Pun Of The Century.

Non timebo curculionis.

I will fear no weevil.


Nihil paenitio (je ne regrette rien)