Mwa, ha, this is good!! I must immediately pass this on to Delia, who hears it even more than I do now that she writes *children's* fantasy- but I hear it, too. Thank you for codifying, er, crystallizing it so clearly. I hadn't realized how much it was bugging me - it's become almost background music.

And now I'm trying to figure out which knight I actually am: The "Lancelot" question always turns me into an utter pedant with a social(ist) agenda, taking the opportunity to lecture my hapless(ly offending) victim on the realities of publishing. Perceval? Bors? (Just not Kay, oh please not Kay....!)