Hide-and-seek (was [Damn! Forgot to supply subject!])

[Wilson Gray]

On Jul 31, 2004, at 12:17 AM, Douglas G. Wilson wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
>> Last night, night before
>> Twenty-four robbers at my door
>> I opened the door
>> I let them in
>> I hit them in the head with a rolling pin
>> All hid?
>
> Compare the nursery rhyme (?) popularized by Stephen King:
>
> Late last night, and the night before,
> Tommyknockers, tommyknockers, knocking at the door.

Yes, I remember that, now that you mention it.

-Wilson Gray

>
> [Incidentally, I suppose that this word "tommyknocker" is cognate with
> Swedish "tomte" (= gnome), as in "Jultomten" = "the Yule gnome", who
> knocks
> (?) and delivers "julklappar" = "Christmas presents" (basically "Yule
> knocks" or so, I suppose), according to my limited understanding of the
> subject. Can anybody confirm or refute my notion?]
>
> -- Doug Wilson
>