the old gray/grey mare, She ain't what she used to be

[Baker, John]

        According to this web site, the old gray mare was a specific
Thoroughbred (which wouldn't have been my guess):

http://www.ecr.net/gallifry/stbsongs.htm

Scroll down to get to the discussion of Lady Suffolk, who was foaled on Long
Island (New York State) in 1833 and died in 1853.  Some other web sites also
refer to Lady Suffolk as the original old gray mare, without discussion.

John Baker

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Prof. R. Sussex [SMTP:r.sussex at MAILBOX.UQ.EDU.AU]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2001 9:36 PM
> To:   ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject:      the old gray/grey mare, She ain't what she used to be
>
> I am checking on the spread of "ain't", including its revival in
> Australia. Does anyone know whether the song "The old gray/grey mare,
> She ain't what she used to be" is American in origin? Several
> colleagues here have indicated that this is their first remembered
> hearing of "ain't" outside North America.
>
> Roly Sussex
> The University of Queensland
> --
> **********************************************************
>
> Roly Sussex
> Professor of Applied Language Studies
> Department of French, German, Russian, Spanish and Applied Linguistics
> School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies
> The University of Queensland
> Brisbane
> Queensland 4072
> AUSTRALIA
>
> Office: Forgan-Smith Tower 403
> Phone:  +61 7 3365 6896
> Fax:    +61 7 3365 2798
> Email:  r.sussex at mailbox.uq.edu.au
> Web:    http://www.arts.uq.edu.au/slccs/Staff/sussex.html
> School's website:
>         http://www.arts.uq.edu.au/slccs/
>
> Language Talkback ABC radio:
> Web:    http://www.cltr.uq.edu.au/languagetalkback/
>
> **********************************************************