QUERY: British "Word" v. American "Words"

[Sallie Lemons]

While we don't have many bagpipers in New York City (except on special occasions),
this comment made me think of a fellow who used to beg on  the 7th Avenue subway
line that runs on the West Side. He adorned himself with a headband that had two
springs on it with balls on top and carried a bashed up saxophone.  He played, by
his own description, "Martian music"--by any standard, a kind characterization. He
would tell passengers that he would play until they paid.  The police or someone
must have stepped in because I didn't see him for a while.  He reappeared with
outfit and accessories, but prefaced his usual spiel with, "I mean no harm to
anyone, but ..."

"Aaron E. Drews" wrote:

> on 24/5/00 9:58 PM, Lynne Murphy wrote:
>
> > Unfortunately, being a busker doesn't mean that you actually have to know how
> > to
> > play the instrument you're holding.  There should be signs that read "No
> > Tone-Deaf Busking."
>
> *Especially* when the instrument is the bagpipes.  Now that summer and
> tourists are here, so are the busking pipers.... and the sound of cats being
> skinned alive.
>
>