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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Strange rhyme
In "Folk-lore of women" by T. F. Thsielton-Dyer, 1906, there's an uncredited quote on page 37 that reads:
Pray, was she painted without a head?
Yes, Sir, she was! You never read of
A silent woman with her head on
Besides, you know, there's nought but speaking
Can keep a woman's heart from breaking!
Have "speaking" and "breaking" ever rhymed, or is it supposed to be a joke?
The book is available as a pdf at:
http://www.harvestfields.netfirms.com/01/Index 16.htm
jouni maho
Pray, was she painted without a head?
Yes, Sir, she was! You never read of
A silent woman with her head on
Besides, you know, there's nought but speaking
Can keep a woman's heart from breaking!
Have "speaking" and "breaking" ever rhymed, or is it supposed to be a joke?
The book is available as a pdf at:
http://www.harvestfields.netfirms.com/01/Index 16.htm
jouni maho
Top answer
[nq:1]Pray, was she painted without a head? Yes, Sir, she was! You never read of A silent woman with her ...
- [nq:1]Pray, was she painted without a head?
- Yes, Sir, she was!
- You never read of A silent woman with her ...
- keep a woman's heart from breaking!
- [/nq] Neither.
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11 Answers
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[nq:1]Pray, was she painted without a head? Yes, Sir, she was! You never read of A silent woman with her ... keep a woman's heart from breaking! Have "speaking" and "breaking" ever rhymed, or is it supposed to be a joke?[/nq]
Neither.
[nq:1]The book is available as a pdf at: http://
Neither.
[nq:1]The book is available as a pdf at: http://
00
Ah. Thanks. I'm not entirely unfamiliar with that just didn't cross my mind.
jouni maho
jouni maho
00
In our last episode,
(Email Removed),
the lovely and talented Jouni Filip Maho
broadcast on alt.usage.english:
[nq:1]Pray, was she painted without a head? Yes, Sir, she was! You never read of A silent woman with her ... keep a woman's heart from breaking! Have "speaking" and "breaking" ever rhymed, or is it supposed to be a joke?[/nq]
I don't know whether "speaking" and "breaki
(Email Removed),
the lovely and talented Jouni Filip Maho
broadcast on alt.usage.english:
[nq:1]Pray, was she painted without a head? Yes, Sir, she was! You never read of A silent woman with her ... keep a woman's heart from breaking! Have "speaking" and "breaking" ever rhymed, or is it supposed to be a joke?[/nq]
I don't know whether "speaking" and "breaki
00
[nq:1]Pray, was she painted without a head? Yes, Sir, she was! You never read of A silent woman with her ... is it supposed to be a joke? The book is available as a pdf at: http://www.harvestfields.netfirms.com/01/Index 16.htm jouni maho[/nq]
The tradition of rhymes that aren't
The tradition of rhymes that aren't
00
[nq:2]Pray, was she painted without a head? Yes, Sir, she ... "breaking" ever rhymed, or is it supposed to be ajoke?[/nq]
[nq:1]I don't know whether "speaking" and "breaking" ever rhymed or rhymed at the time this verse was composed, although it ... general, intended to be jokes. (The verse as a whole in this case seems to be in a humorous vein.)[/nq]
For the benefit of the original poster
[nq:1]I don't know whether "speaking" and "breaking" ever rhymed or rhymed at the time this verse was composed, although it ... general, intended to be jokes. (The verse as a whole in this case seems to be in a humorous vein.)[/nq]
For the benefit of the original poster
00
[nq:2]Pray, was she painted without a head? Yes, Sir, she ... available as a pdf at: http://www.harvestfields.netfirms.com/01/Index 16.htm jouni maho[/nq]
[nq:1]The tradition of rhymes that aren't is fairly strong, and possibly reaches its nadir in the Christmas Carol 'Hark the
[nq:1]The tradition of rhymes that aren't is fairly strong, and possibly reaches its nadir in the Christmas Carol 'Hark the
00
[nq:1]Rhyming "speaking" with "breaking" is an eye rhyme (= a false rhyme consisting of words such as "lint" and "pint" with similar spellings but different sounds). (AHD)[/nq]
This is why I always get worried when experts tell me a certain word was pronounced in a particular way in olden times and that they can be sure of this because it was used in rhymes.
Rob Bannister
This is why I always get worried when experts tell me a certain word was pronounced in a particular way in olden times and that they can be sure of this because it was used in rhymes.
Rob Bannister
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[nq:2]Pray, was she painted without a head? Yes, Sir, she ... available as a pdf at: http://www.harvestfields.netfirms.com/01/Index 16.htm jouni maho[/nq]
[nq:1]The tradition of rhymes that aren't is fairly strong, and possibly reaches its nadir in the Christmas Carol 'Hark the
[nq:1]The tradition of rhymes that aren't is fairly strong, and possibly reaches its nadir in the Christmas Carol 'Hark the
00
"Zest and charm" eh? I wonder if it's actually a local legend rather than something which crossed the pond. The Peak District pubs both just feature a severed head on their signs - in the case of the Leek version it's pretty gruesome.
Menu looks nice in Winsconsin though - what's 'Blackened Orange Roughy' when its at home?
DCC
Menu looks nice in Winsconsin though - what's 'Blackened Orange Roughy' when its at home?
DCC
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[nq:2]At some time last year, I posted a message about ... England was the inspiration. Some pub or other, I think.[/nq]
[nq:1]"Zest and charm" eh? I wonder if it's actually a local legend rather than something which crossed the pond. The ... Leek version it's pretty gruesome. Menu looks nice in Winsconsin though - what's 'Blackened Orange Roughy' when its at home?[/nq]
Orange Roughy is a
[nq:1]"Zest and charm" eh? I wonder if it's actually a local legend rather than something which crossed the pond. The ... Leek version it's pretty gruesome. Menu looks nice in Winsconsin though - what's 'Blackened Orange Roughy' when its at home?[/nq]
Orange Roughy is a
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