| Author |
Message |
Emily
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2004 8:36 pm
Post subject: hoi polloi |
|
|
It must be the pronunciation and sound of 'hoi polloi' that makes one
directly thinks its meaning is 'upper class' or 'high society'. I know it
really means 'the common people' but I find it too easy to muddle these in
speech and get the definition wrong. Just an observation, really. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Brian {Hamilton Kelly}
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2004 8:43 pm
Post subject: Re: hoi polloi |
|
|
On Tuesday, in article
<MPG.1b54e4c6cb08551498a61d@news.individual.net>
bass.c.voice@ntlworld.com "david56" wrote:
| Quote: | 'Twould fill with joy,
And madness stark
The hoi polloi!
|
I hadn't before realized that Gilbert would have been so crass as to use
the definite article along with "hoi polloi"; still, I suppose it
wouldn't have scanned without it!
--
fix (vb.): 1. to paper over, obscure, hide from public view; 2. to
work around, in a way that produces unintended consequences that are
worse than the original problem. Usage: "Windows ME fixes many of the
shortcomings of Windows 98 SE". |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
david56
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2004 10:33 pm
Post subject: Re: hoi polloi |
|
|
Emily typed thus:
| Quote: | It must be the pronunciation and sound of 'hoi polloi' that makes one
directly thinks its meaning is 'upper class' or 'high society'. I know it
really means 'the common people' but I find it too easy to muddle these in
speech and get the definition wrong. Just an observation, really.
|
A non-classical education in Gilbert and Sullivan gives one a
framework:
Our lordly style
You shall not quench
With base canaille!
(That word is French.)
Distinction ebbs
Before a herd
Of vulgar plebs!
(A Latin word.)
'Twould fill with joy,
And madness stark
The hoi polloi!
(A Greek remark.)
One Latin word, one Greek remark,
And one that's French.
--
David
===== |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
david56
Guest
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:38 am
Post subject: Re: hoi polloi |
|
|
Brian {Hamilton Kelly} typed thus:
Gilbert? Crass? Wash your mouth out!
There was an old man of St. Bees
Who was stung on the arm by a wasp,
When asked "Does it hurt?"
He replied "No, it doesn't;
I'm so glad it wasn't a hornet."
--
David
===== |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Matti Lamprhey
Guest
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:45 am
Post subject: Re: hoi polloi |
|
|
"david56" <bass.c.voice@ntlworld.com> wrote...
| Quote: | Brian {Hamilton Kelly} typed thus:
bass.c.voice@ntlworld.com "david56" wrote:
'Twould fill with joy,
And madness stark
The hoi polloi!
I hadn't before realized that Gilbert would have been so crass as to
use the definite article along with "hoi polloi"; still, I suppose
it
wouldn't have scanned without it!
Gilbert? Crass? Wash your mouth out!
There was an old man of St. Bees
Who was stung on the arm by a wasp,
When asked "Does it hurt?"
He replied "No, it doesn't;
I'm so glad it wasn't a hornet."
|
Is that the canonical version? The last line has gone out of skew on
the treadle.
I thought it went more like this:
There was an old man of [somewhere]
Who was stung on the [thing] by a wasp;
When they asked "Does it hurt?"
He replied "Not a bit --
It can do it again if it likes."
Matti |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
david56
Guest
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2004 11:03 pm
Post subject: Re: hoi polloi |
|
|
Matti Lamprhey typed thus:
| Quote: | "david56" <bass.c.voice@ntlworld.com> wrote...
Brian {Hamilton Kelly} typed thus:
bass.c.voice@ntlworld.com "david56" wrote:
'Twould fill with joy,
And madness stark
The hoi polloi!
I hadn't before realized that Gilbert would have been so crass as to
use the definite article along with "hoi polloi"; still, I suppose
it
wouldn't have scanned without it!
Gilbert? Crass? Wash your mouth out!
There was an old man of St. Bees
Who was stung on the arm by a wasp,
When asked "Does it hurt?"
He replied "No, it doesn't;
I'm so glad it wasn't a hornet."
Is that the canonical version? The last line has gone out of skew on
the treadle.
I thought it went more like this:
There was an old man of [somewhere]
Who was stung on the [thing] by a wasp;
When they asked "Does it hurt?"
He replied "Not a bit --
It can do it again if it likes."
|
I've never seen that version. I was taught the one I quoted by my
Dad, about 40 years ago.
--
David
===== |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mUs1Ka
Guest
|
| Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2004 12:12 am
Post subject: Re: hoi polloi |
|
|
david56 wrote:
| Quote: | Matti Lamprhey typed thus:
"david56" <bass.c.voice@ntlworld.com> wrote...
Brian {Hamilton Kelly} typed thus:
bass.c.voice@ntlworld.com "david56" wrote:
'Twould fill with joy,
And madness stark
The hoi polloi!
I hadn't before realized that Gilbert would have been so crass as
to use the definite article along with "hoi polloi"; still, I
suppose it wouldn't have scanned without it!
Gilbert? Crass? Wash your mouth out!
There was an old man of St. Bees
Who was stung on the arm by a wasp,
When asked "Does it hurt?"
He replied "No, it doesn't;
I'm so glad it wasn't a hornet."
Is that the canonical version? The last line has gone out of skew on
the treadle.
I thought it went more like this:
There was an old man of [somewhere]
Who was stung on the [thing] by a wasp;
When they asked "Does it hurt?"
He replied "Not a bit --
It can do it again if it likes."
I've never seen that version. I was taught the one I quoted by my
Dad, about 40 years ago.
|
Matti's is very similar to the version I learned as a child.
There was an old man of Dundee
Who was stung on the leg by a wasp;
When asked if it hurt
He said "No, not a bit --
It can do it again if it likes."
--
Ray |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dave Swindell
Guest
|
| Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2004 12:52 am
Post subject: Re: hoi polloi |
|
|
In article <MPG.1b578ed0abcbce6a98a624@news.individual.net>, david56
<bass.c.voice@ntlworld.com> writes
| Quote: | Matti Lamprhey typed thus:
"david56" <bass.c.voice@ntlworld.com> wrote...
Brian {Hamilton Kelly} typed thus:
bass.c.voice@ntlworld.com "david56" wrote:
'Twould fill with joy,
And madness stark
The hoi polloi!
I hadn't before realized that Gilbert would have been so crass as to
use the definite article along with "hoi polloi"; still, I suppose
it
wouldn't have scanned without it!
Gilbert? Crass? Wash your mouth out!
There was an old man of St. Bees
Who was stung on the arm by a wasp,
When asked "Does it hurt?"
He replied "No, it doesn't;
I'm so glad it wasn't a hornet."
Is that the canonical version? The last line has gone out of skew on
the treadle.
I thought it went more like this:
There was an old man of [somewhere]
Who was stung on the [thing] by a wasp;
When they asked "Does it hurt?"
He replied "Not a bit --
It can do it again if it likes."
I've never seen that version. I was taught the one I quoted by my
Dad, about 40 years ago.
There once was a man from Dunoon |
Who always ate soup with a fork
For, he said, "Since I eat neither flesh, foul nor fish
I'd otherwise finish too quickly".
--
Dave OSOS#24 dswindell.gerbil@tcp.co.uk Remove my gerbil for email replies
Yamaha XJ900S & Wessex sidecar, the sexy one
Yamaha XJ900F & Watsonian Monaco, the comfortable one
http://dswindell.members.beeb.net |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
paul
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 4:48 am
Post subject: Re: hoi polloi |
|
|
On Thu, 8 Jul 2004 19:12 "mUs1Ka" <mUs1Ka@exite.com> wrote:
| Quote: | david56 wrote:
Matti Lamprhey typed thus:
"david56" <bass.c.voice@ntlworld.com> wrote...
Brian {Hamilton Kelly} typed thus:
bass.c.voice@ntlworld.com "david56" wrote:
'Twould fill with joy,
And madness stark
The hoi polloi!
I hadn't before realized that Gilbert would have been so crass as
to use the definite article along with "hoi polloi"; still, I
suppose it wouldn't have scanned without it!
Gilbert? Crass? Wash your mouth out!
There was an old man of St. Bees
Who was stung on the arm by a wasp,
When asked "Does it hurt?"
He replied "No, it doesn't;
I'm so glad it wasn't a hornet."
Is that the canonical version? The last line has gone out of skew on
the treadle.
I thought it went more like this:
There was an old man of [somewhere]
Who was stung on the [thing] by a wasp;
When they asked "Does it hurt?"
He replied "Not a bit --
It can do it again if it likes."
I've never seen that version. I was taught the one I quoted by my
Dad, about 40 years ago.
Matti's is very similar to the version I learned as a child.
There was an old man of Dundee
Who was stung on the leg by a wasp;
When asked if it hurt
He said "No, not a bit --
It can do it again if it likes."
|
Not heard of those; learnt this at an early age:
There was faith healer from Deal
Who said "Although pain isn't real
If I sit on a pin
And it ounctures my skin
I dislike what I fancy I feel."
--
paul (C) © 2004 is mine |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| |
FAQ
Memberlist
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in