I will save you the detail but apparently the reason the name Menzies is pronounced "Mingis" (with a hard G) is because sometime in the 16th or 17th centure we lost a letter from the english alphabet, a letter called a "yogh" pronounced "yog" as in yoghurt.

The name Menzies is in the news recently because a certain Sir Menzies Campbell, Edinburgh lawyer and Westminster politician for the Liberal Party (yes you benighted colonists, we still have genuine Liberals in the UK, all descendants of Lloyd George). Known apparently to his friends as Ming the Merciless he appears to have plotted a coup to oust his fellow scottish MP, Charles Kennedy, from the leadership of their party, using Mr Kennedy's apparent alcoholism problem as an excuse. Hopefully it will result in the Liberals advancing into complete obscurity at the next electoral opportunity, but here are a couple of small commentaries which I found amusing.

The Yogh:

A lively young damsel named Menzies
Inquired: "Do you know what this thenzies?"
Her aunt, with a gasp,
Replied: "It's a wasp,
And you're holding the end where the stenzies!

from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4595228.stm


Liberal Quantities

Sir Minzis the Merciless said with a sneer,
"I'll have to take charge of the Party, I fear
young Kennedy's drinking was well out of order,
He could do it in Scotland, not South of the Border.

In Argyll and Bute they're all pissed as newts,
but it doesn't go well with the toadies in suits.
Let's give him a peerage, and then as a Lord,
he can drink himself silly with nary a word."

"It's sad that a fellow can't sink a wee drammie,
Without all his MPs having a rammie.
They don't drink of course in the New Liberal Seats,
it doesn't go well with the Pringles and Pleats,
So remind me next Christmas to send him once more,
A case of good malt and then may be one more!"

[Probably my ubiquitous friend, Kettins Bob]