[1] Blueblood would later insist that the shot came from the muzzle of a breech-loader.[2]
[2] He was, however, incorrect. Like most ponies outside the Canterlot nobility, the barmaid hadn't loaded her breeches since she was a newborn foal.
[3] The return fire came from the muzzle of a smooth bore.
[4] The barmaid was a Canterlot University graduate student supporting her education with a night job. Connoisseurs of irony may appreciate the fact that her name was Synecdoche.
[5] Not actually true. He stood too close while Poncemercy was relieving himself in the alleyway.
[6] If you don't believe this is possible, then you've never watched Blueblood do it. [7]
[7] At which point you will know for a fact that it is impossible.
[8] Celestia did not, in fact, own a linguistic warhammer. However, one of her relics from the days of the Qilinese empire was a linguistic sickle, which grammarians referred to in reverent whispers as the "Ox-Ford kama."
[9] If you didn't catch the bilingual pun there, I probably shouldn't have ruined it by pointing it out.
[10] And promptly ran around screaming about being on fire, before having the presence of mind to stop, drop and roll.
[11] To be precise, calculating the payments necessary for Synecdoche to resolve the matter of Blueblood's assault quietly.
[12] The actual statue for that — a nameless cow holding a milking bucket — was in a tiny cul-de-sac hidden behind the statue of Propriety.
[13] Modern stallions actually fulfill their civic obligations via jury duty. This didn't occur to Snails as a downside, because when the subject came up, his father told him to "jes' fall asleep when ya get ta th' courtroom, and they'll dismiss ya in a jiff."
[14] In his defense, she was a teacher. Teachers are supposed to be smart.
[15] Literally rolled by, like a tumbleweed.
[16] The others (as well as Poncemercy) had been picked up by palace guards when the tour group got separated, and were huddling in safety in the palace kitchens. Except for the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who met up with Princess Luna and had an adorable and wildly improbable adventure full of tree sap in which they failed to earn their cutie marks in Draconequus Confronting.
[17] These were technically Celestia's, but everypony was too busy with Discord to pay attention when Cheerilee grabbed them from the display case next to the linguistic sickle.
[18] "Ice cream for a year." "Done." [19]
[19] Negotiations later broke down over whether the agreement covered unlimited usage or reasonable daily usage; acceptable flavors; and the payment of shipping charges.
[20] The preceding days had been so wildly eventful that Poncemercy had run completely through his stock of catchphrases, and was being forced to recycle them.
[21] Yes, with a hoof. This is exactly as horrifying as it sounds.
[22] Nearly the entirety of the Royal Guard was in the room. Of course, since Equestria had been at peace for a hundred years (with the singular exception of Nightmare Moon's return), there was no reason to worry about a hostile army infiltrating the city during the distraction.
[23] It was definitely quite a rooster.
[24] The missing rhetorical daggers, after having been used to murder Equuish, were finally found in the corpse of Ancient Roamin and put back under guard. The other languages breathed a collective sigh of relief.