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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
"Pluming"
Yesterday my daughter, who was visiting me, asked me to Google the word of the song "My Grandfather's Clock" so that she could sing it to my granddaughter. I remarked that I'd known all the words of the song for 50 years and could have written it out for her, but since it was actually quicker to Google and print I did so. As usual in these cases, not every single word conformed with the version I learnt, but one in particular really threw me.
When I learnt the song, the last verse contained the lines
"And we knew that his spirit was poised for its flight, That the hour of departure had come."
The first version I got from Google had "pluming his flight" instead of "poised for its flight". I was mildly baffled and I looked further. I found versions with "pluming for flight", "pluming its flight" and even "plumbing in flight".
Main Entry: 2plume
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): plumed; plum·ing
1 a : to provide or deck with feathers b : to array showily
2 : to indulge (oneself) in pride with an obvious or vain display ofself-satisfaction
3 of a bird a : to preen and arrange the feathers of (itself) b : topreen and arrange (feathers)
The Concise Oxford adds two nouns, which in principle might be verbed:
2 a long spreading cloud of smoke or vapour.
3 (Geology) a column of magma rising by convection in the earth'smantle.
With considerable contortion I could just about get my mind around plume as in preen in the sense of preparing the feathers for flight. It seems pretty contrived, and I can't see it making much sense to the average child listening to the song. I assumed the "plumbing" version was a mistake, but at this stage I'd believe anything.
Am I missing something obvious? And does anyone else remember the words as I do?
Katy Jennison
spamtrap: remove number to reply
When I learnt the song, the last verse contained the lines
"And we knew that his spirit was poised for its flight, That the hour of departure had come."
The first version I got from Google had "pluming his flight" instead of "poised for its flight". I was mildly baffled and I looked further. I found versions with "pluming for flight", "pluming its flight" and even "plumbing in flight".
Main Entry: 2plume
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): plumed; plum·ing
1 a : to provide or deck with feathers b : to array showily
2 : to indulge (oneself) in pride with an obvious or vain display ofself-satisfaction
3 of a bird a : to preen and arrange the feathers of (itself) b : topreen and arrange (feathers)
The Concise Oxford adds two nouns, which in principle might be verbed:
2 a long spreading cloud of smoke or vapour.
3 (Geology) a column of magma rising by convection in the earth'smantle.
With considerable contortion I could just about get my mind around plume as in preen in the sense of preparing the feathers for flight. It seems pretty contrived, and I can't see it making much sense to the average child listening to the song. I assumed the "plumbing" version was a mistake, but at this stage I'd believe anything.
Am I missing something obvious? And does anyone else remember the words as I do?
Katy Jennison
spamtrap: remove number to reply
Top answer
[nq:1]Main Entry: 2plume Function: transitive verb Inflected Form(s): plumed; plum·ing 1 a : to provide or deck with feathers b ... this stage I'd believe anything. Am I missing something obvious?
- [nq:1]Main Entry: 2plume Function: transitive verb Inflected Form(s): plumed; plum·ing 1 a : to provide or deck with feathers b ...
- this stage I'd believe anything.
- Am I missing something obvious?
- [/nq] I remember the first verse well but not the rest and not that poised / pluming verse.
- The song was originally a nineteenth century one however - author Henry Clay Work in 1876.
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27 Answers
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[nq:1]Main Entry: 2plume Function: transitive verb Inflected Form(s): plumed; plum·ing 1 a : to provide or deck with feathers b ... this stage I'd believe anything. Am I missing something obvious? And does anyone else remember the words as I do?[/nq]
I remember the first verse well but not the rest and not that poised / pluming verse.
The song was originally a nineteenth century one howeve
I remember the first verse well but not the rest and not that poised / pluming verse.
The song was originally a nineteenth century one howeve
00
[nq:1]Here's a text at the U of Toronto English Dept so I give them advance credit for being likely to have taken trouble getting it right: http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display/poem2386.html[/nq]
(snip)
[nq:1]6. trans. To preen, trim, or dress (the feathers or wings);
(snip)
[nq:1]6. trans. To preen, trim, or dress (the feathers or wings);
00
[nq:1]Main Entry: 2plume Function: transitive verb Inflected Form(s): plumed; plum·ing 1 a : to provide or deck with feathers b ... this stage I'd believe anything. Am I missing something obvious? And does anyone else remember the words as I do?[/nq]
When it comes to composed songs, I would trust printed sheet music more than any Internet version. Best Loved Songs of the American People (Doubl
When it comes to composed songs, I would trust printed sheet music more than any Internet version. Best Loved Songs of the American People (Doubl
00
(snip question re song "Grandfather's Clock":)
[nq:2]Main Entry: 2plume Function: transitive verb Inflected Form(s): plumed; plum·ing ... feathers of (itself) b : to preen and arrange (feathers)[/nq]
(snip)
[nq:1]When it comes to composed songs, I would trust printed sheet music more than any Internet version. Best Loved ... effective song, which never has failed to impress audiences i
[nq:2]Main Entry: 2plume Function: transitive verb Inflected Form(s): plumed; plum·ing ... feathers of (itself) b : to preen and arrange (feathers)[/nq]
(snip)
[nq:1]When it comes to composed songs, I would trust printed sheet music more than any Internet version. Best Loved ... effective song, which never has failed to impress audiences i
00
[nq:2]Main Entry: 2plume Function: transitive verb Inflected Form(s): plumed; plum·ing ... And does anyone else remember the words as I do?[/nq]
[nq:1]I remember the first verse well but not the rest and not that poised / pluming verse. The song was ... the concept and would have understood 'pluming ( its wings OR its feathers ) for flight. John Dean Oxford[/nq]
Here is an interesting 19th
[nq:1]I remember the first verse well but not the rest and not that poised / pluming verse. The song was ... the concept and would have understood 'pluming ( its wings OR its feathers ) for flight. John Dean Oxford[/nq]
Here is an interesting 19th
00
[nq:1]I remember the first verse well but not the rest and not that poised / pluming verse.[/nq]
I can sing the first verse and the chorus, and I have memories of the second verse, mostly of the storyline.
I'm stunned at how many people know this song, and on two continents, no less! I learned it in elementary school, back in the days when California elementary schools still had a music cu
I can sing the first verse and the chorus, and I have memories of the second verse, mostly of the storyline.
I'm stunned at how many people know this song, and on two continents, no less! I learned it in elementary school, back in the days when California elementary schools still had a music cu
00
[nq:1]When it comes to composed songs, I would trust printed sheet music more than any Internet version. Best Loved ... setting the feathers in place. But don't fret, you know that songwriters will sacrifice sense for the sake of rhyme.[/nq]It's not an internet version (and nor, of course, is print necessarily immune from repeating earlier errors, if such there were). Doubleday clearly shares a co
00
[nq:1](snip question re song "Grandfather's Clock":) (snip)[/nq]
[nq:2]When it comes to composed songs, I would trust printed ... the theater or gathered around the piano in the parlor."[/nq]
[nq:1]Out of curiosity I looked a little longer, and although I couldn't find a facsimile of the complete sheet music ... was faulty (or influenced by hearing the Yetties sing the thing so often), but
[nq:2]When it comes to composed songs, I would trust printed ... the theater or gathered around the piano in the parlor."[/nq]
[nq:1]Out of curiosity I looked a little longer, and although I couldn't find a facsimile of the complete sheet music ... was faulty (or influenced by hearing the Yetties sing the thing so often), but
00
[nq:2]I remember the first verse well but not the rest and not that poised / pluming verse.[/nq]
[nq:1]I can sing the first verse and the chorus, and I have memories of the second verse, mostly of the ... elementary schools still had a music curriculum. I doubt they still do, but I'd be pleasantly surprised to learn otherwise.[/nq]
I'm fairly certain it was a British hit song in the 50s or
[nq:1]I can sing the first verse and the chorus, and I have memories of the second verse, mostly of the ... elementary schools still had a music curriculum. I doubt they still do, but I'd be pleasantly surprised to learn otherwise.[/nq]
I'm fairly certain it was a British hit song in the 50s or
00
[nq:2]I can sing the first verse and the chorus, and ... still do, but I'd be pleasantly surprised to learn otherwise.[/nq]
[nq:1]I'm fairly certain it was a British hit song in the 50s or 60s. Can't remember who did, though.[/nq]
Apparently it's recently been a hit in Japan for Hirai Ken under the title 'Okina Furodoki'
John Dean
Oxford
[nq:1]I'm fairly certain it was a British hit song in the 50s or 60s. Can't remember who did, though.[/nq]
Apparently it's recently been a hit in Japan for Hirai Ken under the title 'Okina Furodoki'
John Dean
Oxford
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