Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2009

Jerry Friedman wrote:

But can that be also claimed for the World Series?
--
Proof that Merkins understand irony

Or listeners to Irish folk music (5th verse):

Bryan O'Lynn

Bryan O'Lynn was a gentleman born
He lived at a time when no clothes they were worn,
But as fashion went out, of course Bryan walked in
"Whoo, I'll lead the fashions," says Bryan O'Lynn.

Bryan O'Lynn had no breeches to wear
He got him a sheepskin to make him a pair,
With the fleshy side out and the woolly side in,
"Whoo, they're pleasant and cool." says Bryan O'Lynn.

Bryan O'Lynn had no shirt to his back,
He went to his neighbor's and borrowed a sack
Then he puckered the meal bag up under his chin
"Whoo, they'll take them for ruffles," says Bryan O'Lynn.

Bryan O'Lynn had no hat to his head,
He thought that the pot would do him instead,
Then he murdered a cod for the sake of its fin,
"Whoo, 'twill pass for a feather." says Bryan O'Lynn.

Bryan O'Lynn was hard up for a coat
He borrowed a skin of a neighboring goat
With the horns sticking out from his oxters, and then
"Whoo, they'll take them for pistols,"  says Bryan O'Lynn.

Bryan O'Lynn had no stockings to  wear,
He bought him a rat's skin to make him a pair,
He then drew them on and they fitted his shin,
"Whoo, they're illegant wear,"  says   Bryan O'Lynn.

Bryan O'Lynn had no brogues to his toes,
He hopped on two crab shells to serve him for those,
Then he split up two oysters that matched just like twins,
"Whoo, they'll shine out like buckles," says Bryan O'Lynn.

Bryan O'Lynn had no watch to put on,
He scooped out a turnip to make him a one
Then he planted a cricket in under the skin
"Whoo, they'll think it's a-tickin,"  says Bryan O'Lynn.

Bryan O'Lynn to his house had no door,
He'd the sky for a roof and the bog for a floor,
He'd a way to jump out and a way to swim in,
"Whoo, it's very convanient," says Bryan O'Lynn.

Bryan O'Lynn, his wife, and wife's mother,
They all went home o'er the bridge together,
The bridge it broke down and  they all tumbled in,
"Whoo, we'll go home by water," says Bryan O'Lynn.

Brian O'Lynn and his wife's mother
Went under the bridge to piddle together
One piddled needles and one piddled pins
"That's mighty sharp piddling,"  says Bryan O'Lynn.

On Jan 24, 11:25 am, "barkerpl...@hotmail.com"
<barkerpl...@hotmail.com> wrote:

Nonsense.  The Super Bowl has always been played in the snow-free half
of the nation or in a covered stadium.

As an illustration of American confusion--whether "American's
confusion about itself" is a good phrase or not--one could say that
our football is traditionally played in the fall and winter, and
people sometimes say that games played in snow are "the way football
is supposed to be", so it's strange that the Super Bowl is always
played without snow.

I think it was clever of the writer to make it one.

Is it necessary to mention that "oxter" is pretty much unknown in
America, except to readers of Irish literature?

--
Jerry Friedman

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The NFL wants the good weather for the ancillary events and not for the game
itself.
They played in a cold weather city once , Detroit, nobody was pleased going
there.
Before Katrina, New Orleans was the most common choice with Miami a close
second.
They like to pick good party towns.

On Jan 24, 4:00 pm, "jerry_fried...@yahoo.com"
<jerry_fried...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Let me apologize for Tom Humphries' poorly judged remark about the
Super Bowl. Perhaps he might have been better advised complaining
about the 2001-2002 AFC Divisional Playoff game instead.

On Jan 24, 4:00 pm, "jerry_fried...@yahoo.com"
<jerry_fried...@yahoo.com> wrote:

That's about the size of it. My favourite oxter moment comes from At
Swim-Two-Birds:

'Till a man has accomplished twelve books of poetry, the same is not
taken for want of poetry but is forced away. No man is taken till a
black hole is hollowed in the world to the depth of his two oxters and
he put into it to gaze from it with his lonely head and nothing to him
but his shield and a stick of hazel.'

Wasn't an early Green Bay Packers Super Bowl played in the snow?

<snip>

Turd in your pocket?