Pumpernickel (1766)

[Mark A Mandel]

Ah! Thanks, Benjamin and Doug, for side-effectual (?!) clarification
about a character in Neil Gaiman's novel _American Gods_ (up for the
Hugo Award!) named Hinzelmann.

Doug, what is the source of that verse? Is it really classical? Where
can I find a tune to it?

Both: I would like to post the verse to the newsgroup alt.usage.german
and possibly also to a small mailing list I'm on, FILK_UK, which has a
number of German subscribers. May I quote you? Feel free to reply
off-list, as this needn't take up the other listies' mailboxes.

-- Mark A. Mandel


On Tue, 30 Apr 2002, Benjamin Fortson wrote:

#        As for the verse, Krambambuli is an old word in student slang for
#'booze, liquor' (it originally designated a kind of brandy). I don't know
#if I can "translate it effectively" (i.e. give an English verse
#translation that would have the same spirit as the German), but the
#meaning is: "O! What a worthy article [that has made it] into the general
#dictionary! For they're writing there about pumpernickel: what praise
#could you not get from that? You Sir Lexicographers, go get the liquor." I
#suppose the idea is that the lexicographers should have a drink for their
#praiseworthy inclusion of "pumpernickel" in the dictionary. It doesn't
#make a *whole* lot of sense, but this sort of verse is more about fun with
#words than anything else.

#On Mon, 29 Apr 2002, Douglas G. Wilson wrote:

#> And here's a fine germane stanza from 'classical' music:
#>
#> O! welch ein würdiger Artickel!
#> Ins allgemeine Lexikon;
#> Da schreibt man ja vom Pumpernickel,
#> Welch Lob trügst du denn nicht davon?
#> Ihr Herren Lexikographi,
#> Besorget den Krambambuli.