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Lothar Frings
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 1:08 pm
Post subject: Two questions from song lyrics |
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Hello,
I'm aware that song lyrics aren't exactly a reference
for good English, but anyway:
(1) From The Monkees - Randy Scouse Git (Alternate Title):
"Why don't you be like me?"
Shouldn't this be "Why aren't you like me?" It also
would match the rhythm and meter.
(2) From AC/DC - TNT:
"I'm dirty, mean, and mighty unclean"
What difference is there between dirty and unclean?
TIA!
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Troy Steadman
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:01 pm
Post subject: Re: Two questions from song lyrics |
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Lothar Frings wrote:
| Quote: | Hello,
I'm aware that song lyrics aren't exactly a reference
for good English, but anyway:
(1) From The Monkees - Randy Scouse Git (Alternate Title):
"Why don't you be like me?"
|
This is a very bitter song and good English doesn't come into it. Who
the hell is Nora Hyde?
"Now they've darkened all the windows
And the seats are naugh-a-hyde.
I've been waiting for an hour,
I can't find a place to hide.
The being known as Wonder Girl
Is speaking I believe.
It's not easy tryin' to tell her
That I shortly have to leave".
"Why don't you be like me?" is good English when you are being bitter.
| Quote: | Shouldn't this be "Why aren't you like me?" It also
would match the rhythm and meter.
(2) From AC/DC - TNT:
"I'm dirty, mean, and mighty unclean"
What difference is there between dirty and unclean?
|
There is a difference. "Dirty" is usually "coated in dirt" whereas
unclean suggests "diseased". |
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Jim Lawton
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:15 pm
Post subject: Re: Two questions from song lyrics |
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On 17 Oct 2005 01:01:06 -0700, "Troy Steadman" <troysteadman@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
| Quote: | Lothar Frings wrote:
Hello,
I'm aware that song lyrics aren't exactly a reference
for good English, but anyway:
(1) From The Monkees - Randy Scouse Git (Alternate Title):
"Why don't you be like me?"
This is a very bitter song and good English doesn't come into it. Who
the hell is Nora Hyde?
"Now they've darkened all the windows
And the seats are naugh-a-hyde.
|
I'm guessing, but I think that'll be "Naugahyde" :- http://www.naugahyde.com/
| Quote: | I've been waiting for an hour,
I can't find a place to hide.
The being known as Wonder Girl
Is speaking I believe.
It's not easy tryin' to tell her
That I shortly have to leave".
"Why don't you be like me?" is good English when you are being bitter.
Shouldn't this be "Why aren't you like me?" It also
would match the rhythm and meter.
(2) From AC/DC - TNT:
"I'm dirty, mean, and mighty unclean"
What difference is there between dirty and unclean?
There is a difference. "Dirty" is usually "coated in dirt" whereas
unclean suggests "diseased".
-- |
Jim
the polymoth
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R H Draney
Guest
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The Other Fran
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 3:20 pm
Post subject: Re: Two questions from song lyrics |
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Lothar Frings wrote:
| Quote: | Hello,
I'm aware that song lyrics aren't exactly a reference
for good English, but anyway:
(1) From The Monkees - Randy Scouse Git (Alternate Title):
"Why don't you be like me?"
Shouldn't this be "Why aren't you like me?" It also
would match the rhythm and meter.
(2) From AC/DC - TNT:
"I'm dirty, mean, and mighty unclean"
What difference is there between dirty and unclean?
|
None ...
| Quote: | From the Mortein ad ... famous in Australia --- Louie the Fly ...
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I'm bad and mean and mighty unclean
Afraid of noone
'Cept the man with the can of Mortein ...
TOF |
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Troy Steadman
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 3:40 pm
Post subject: Re: Two questions from song lyrics |
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R H Draney wrote:
Ah! I'd never heard of it. Thanks. |
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Laura F. Spira
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:36 pm
Post subject: Re: Two questions from song lyrics |
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R H Draney wrote:
I've seen the word lots of times but never heard it pronounced - I had
always assumed that it was "norg-ahide".
--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email) |
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Salvatore Volatile
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:38 pm
Post subject: Re: Two questions from song lyrics |
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Troy Steadman wrote:
You might not also know that Naugahyde was named after Naugatuck, a
redneck hill-town in the center of a snow belt in central-western
Connecticut just outside the economically-depressed mill city of
Waterbury. It's something like a hilly version of the Midwest, only not
so far away. The people there even sound rather like Chicagoans, and I
don't mean that in a good way. You might not further know that I resided
in Naugatuck for a little less than a year, not so many years ago.
Naugatuck was once something of a center for the rubber industry. I'm
not sure how the current population is employed, although there's a Peter
Paul factory and a Wal*Mart. I understand that the locals call Naugatuck
"Naugie".
There's also a Naugatuck River. It should not be confused with another
Connecticut river, the Saugatuck River. Isn't there also a Saugatuck out
in Michigan? If so, I think I may have spent a day there once, but that
was longer ago.
Fran Kemmish, who is as familiar with the state of Connecticut as anyone,
might disagree with me here, but I'd say that what I'd dub the Route 8
Corridor is the most depressing section of that state. Granted, I haven't
spent that much time in the eastern half of Connecticut. |
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Salvatore Volatile
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:43 pm
Post subject: Re: Two questions from song lyrics |
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Tony Cooper wrote:
| Quote: | On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 13:11:06 +0100, "Laura F. Spira"
laura@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
I hope someone will post a definitive pronunciation soon - not that I'm
likely to have to say the word in the immediate future but it's bugging
me and I could do with crossing it off the list of irritating little
brain nags.
Pronounced in my hearing as gnaw-guh-hide with emphasis on the gnaw.
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Coop is correct. /'nOg@haId/ in ASCII IPA will do, though in SparkE one
might write /'nAg@haId/ (well, in SparkE one would be compelled to write
['nAg@haId] actually). Sparky wouldn't distinguish between Naugahyde and
Noggahyde.
Naugatuck is similarly /'nOg@tVk/ and rhymes with Saugatuck. |
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Wood Avens
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:51 pm
Post subject: Re: Two questions from song lyrics |
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On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 12:36:27 +0100, "Laura F. Spira"
<laura@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
I'd always mentally pronounced it "now-gahide" (for values of "always"
that include the bare dozen or so times I've met the term). I don't
see a pronunciation guide in the link: did I miss something?
--
Katy Jennison
spamtrap: remove the first two letters after the @ |
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Mike Barnes
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 6:04 pm
Post subject: Re: Two questions from song lyrics |
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In alt.usage.english, Lothar Frings wrote:
| Quote: | Hello,
I'm aware that song lyrics aren't exactly a reference
for good English, but anyway:
(1) From The Monkees - Randy Scouse Git (Alternate Title):
"Why don't you be like me?"
Shouldn't this be "Why aren't you like me?"
|
"Why don't you be like me?" refers specifically to voluntary features of
the person, whereas "Why aren't you like me?" could refer to things out
of their control (age, background, etc). Also many people say "Why don't
you..." when what they really mean is "I think you should...". So "Why
don't you be like me?" emphasises the element of choice, and might
indicate a request.
Of course the whole idea of "being like" another person makes no sense
unless you're specific about the personal feature(s) referred to.
--
Mike Barnes
Cheshire, England |
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Harvey Van Sickle
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 6:06 pm
Post subject: Re: Two questions from song lyrics |
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On 17 Oct 2005, Laura F. Spira wrote
| Quote: | R H Draney wrote:
Troy Steadman filted:
This is a very bitter song and good English doesn't come into
it. Who the hell is Nora Hyde?
"Now they've darkened all the windows
And the seats are naugh-a-hyde.
I believe this will clear it up:
http://www.ciadvertising.org/student_account/fall_01/adv382j/franc
is/lois_website/uniroyal.html
I've seen the word lots of times but never heard it pronounced - I
had always assumed that it was "norg-ahide".
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(Geez, that insertion of an "r" to indicate a vowel sound invariably
throws me...)
If you mean that the first syllable is the same as the verb "gnaw",
that's how I grew up with the word.
--
Cheers, Harvey
Canadian (30 years) and British (23 years)
For e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van |
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Laura F. Spira
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 6:11 pm
Post subject: Re: Two questions from song lyrics |
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Wood Avens wrote:
I was going on the basis of the earlier post asking who Nora Hyde was.
I hope someone will post a definitive pronunciation soon - not that I'm
likely to have to say the word in the immediate future but it's bugging
me and I could do with crossing it off the list of irritating little
brain nags. (Life is one long senior moment these days: I spent most of
yesterday trying to remember the name of the clear liquid that you can
use for removing sticky residues that is not methylated spirits but
sounds similar, or so I thought. And this morning in M&S I forgot my
credit card PIN only minutes after correctly using it in Boots - I could
remember all the digits but not the correct order.)
--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email) |
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Harvey Van Sickle
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 6:12 pm
Post subject: Re: Two questions from song lyrics |
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On 17 Oct 2005, Laura F. Spira wrote
| Quote: | Wood Avens wrote:
On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 12:36:27 +0100, "Laura F. Spira"
laura@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
R H Draney wrote:
I believe this will clear it up:
http://www.ciadvertising.org/student_account/fall_01/adv382j/fra
ncis/lois_website/uniroyal.html
I've seen the word lots of times but never heard it pronounced -
I had always assumed that it was "norg-ahide".
I'd always mentally pronounced it "now-gahide" (for values of
"always" that include the bare dozen or so times I've met the
term). I don't see a pronunciation guide in the link: did I miss
something?
I was going on the basis of the earlier post asking who Nora Hyde
was.
I hope someone will post a definitive pronunciation soon - not
that I'm likely to have to say the word in the immediate future
but it's bugging me and I could do with crossing it off the list
of irritating little brain nags.
|
M-W Online:
Main Entry: Nau·ga·hyde
Pronunciation: 'no-g&-"hId, 'nä-
Function: trademark
-- used for vinyl-coated fabrics
--
Cheers, Harvey
Canadian (30 years) and British (23 years)
For e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van |
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Laura F. Spira
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 6:24 pm
Post subject: Re: Two questions from song lyrics |
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Harvey Van Sickle wrote:
| Quote: | On 17 Oct 2005, Laura F. Spira wrote
Wood Avens wrote:
On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 12:36:27 +0100, "Laura F. Spira"
laura@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
R H Draney wrote:
I believe this will clear it up:
http://www.ciadvertising.org/student_account/fall_01/adv382j/fra
ncis/lois_website/uniroyal.html
I've seen the word lots of times but never heard it pronounced -
I had always assumed that it was "norg-ahide".
I'd always mentally pronounced it "now-gahide" (for values of
"always" that include the bare dozen or so times I've met the
term). I don't see a pronunciation guide in the link: did I miss
something?
I was going on the basis of the earlier post asking who Nora Hyde
was.
I hope someone will post a definitive pronunciation soon - not
that I'm likely to have to say the word in the immediate future
but it's bugging me and I could do with crossing it off the list
of irritating little brain nags.
M-W Online:
Main Entry: Nau·ga·hyde
Pronunciation: 'no-g&-"hId, 'nä-
Function: trademark
-- used for vinyl-coated fabrics
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Thanks, Harvey - my original assumption was pretty much correct.
--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email) |
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