Re Betty and Dupree (was: CONtract/conTRACT)

[Laurence Horn]

At 12:10 PM -0500 11/5/01, Mark.Mandel at LHSL.COM wrote:
>      [dInIs expatiated in pass 1]:
>>
>>>>>>>
>>Course, you got to admit that "Betty said to duPRAY" don't scan. Only
>>DUpray will do.
>><<<<<
>
>      [And Mark rebutted, still in pass 1]:
>>I don't got to admit no such thing.
>>
>>       BETty told duPREE: [rest] "BUY me a DI'mond RING".
>>       BETty told duPREE: [rest] "BUY me a DI'mond RING".
>>       and duPREE said, "BAby, [rest] i'll BUY you 'MOST anyTHING".
>
>      [Now dInIs has objected, pass 2]:
>>>>>>
>Cept it's
>
>Betty said to DUpree
>
>not told.
><<<<<
>
>      [And Mark asserts, pass 2]:
>I wrote it like I heard it sung. YMMV. The DEfense rests.
>
Web sites giving various versions of the song (supposedly based on a
true event) attest both versions, "said to" and "told" (or tol', or
tole), with the line often appearing as "I want a diamond ring"
rather than "Buy me..."

larry