To the question about "laughing at the word "lope"

The famous humorist Stanislav Jerzy Lec escaped from the concentration camp twice. He was caught. After the second time, he was given a spade to dig his own grave. With this spade he killed the guard, dressed his uniform and fled again, this time - successfully. He later said, “The Romantic would find the decorations suitable, and died. I am a humorist. I killed him with a spade.”