r/lotr•
DestructorNZ

Po-tay-toes conundrum

Question

I'm reading my kids 'The Two Towers' at the moment. Now, since they were born, you simply cannot say the word potatoes in my kitchen without me saying: "Po-tay-toes... boil 'em, mash them, stick 'em in a stew!" so the kids have heard this a thousand times and now say it themselves. As we approached the scene where Sam was due to say this, I could see the kids getting visibly worked up with excitement.

The problem is... Sam does not say this in the book! It reads:

'Po – ta – toes,' said Sam. 'The Gaffer's delight, and rare good ballast for an empty belly.'

So, unable to disappoint them, I added the line back in, and they CHANTED it along with me, then fell over laughing themselves silly for like a minute. And then I continued on.

So the question I need answered is: One day they are going to discover this deception! Should I confess now, to avoid future disappointment, or leave them thinking that's how it really is?

Posted Jun 3, 2026, 1:50 AM UTC

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