Q: "lanechtskipt"

Douglas G. Wilson douglas at NB.NET
Mon Nov 11 21:37:47 UTC 2013


What (if anything) does the expression "that had their limbs as long as
they pleased" mean? One instance at G-books shows "[times]" following
"limbs", as if a correction or interpretation by someone. I still don't
know exactly what the phrase means, but (especially if there were
originally no limbs mentioned) maybe the item doesn't have to be an animal.

Burlesson apparently showed puppets as well as animals, and maybe he
showed other things.

As an example of a wild speculation which is of little or no value in
isolation, one might postulate that there was (along with a lion and
some sort of bear[s]) a fine tabletop model of a Viking ship on display,
labeled with a grotesque 'word' based on a misheard Scandinavian
pronunciation of "long-ship" ("langskip" or so). If "white" was spelled
"whight" then I suppose a "ch" or so could be similarly deployed?
Couldn't a "t" be added (as a definite article or whatever) here or
there (rightly or wrongly)?

By imagining different errors, different scenarios can be entertained.

The original manuscript might be enlightening.

-- Doug Wilson

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