Very OT: Uncle Remus frightened me as a child Re: "Jazz Means Happy and Loose Like" (1917) (UNCLASSIFIED)

Dennis R. Preston preston at MSU.EDU
Wed Dec 5 20:50:14 UTC 2007


THEY SO DIRT-POOR THEY CAIN'T RHYME!

dInIs

>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
>Subject:      Re: Very OT: Uncle Remus frightened me as a child Re:
>"Jazz Means
>               Happy and Loose Like" (1917) (UNCLASSIFIED)
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>The version I heard (which came from dirt-poor rural south Georgia) had
>as a punch line:
>
>"Tell Mr. BuzZARD and Mr. RabBIT
>That Mr. TurTELL is here with the SHIT"
>
>>  -----Original Message-----
>>  From: American Dialect Society
>>  [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Dennis Preston
>>  Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 5:33 AM
>>  To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>  Subject: Re: Very OT: Uncle Remus frightened me as a child
>>  Re: "Jazz Means Happy and Loose Like" (1917)
>>
>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  -----------------------
>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       Dennis Preston <preston at MSU.EDU>
>>  Subject:      Re: Very OT: Uncle Remus frightened me as a
>>  child Re: "Jazz Means
>>                Happy and Loose Like" (1917)
>>  --------------------------------------------------------------
>>  -----------------
>>
>>  Wilson,
>>
>>  Stupid Northern chillun (and their stupider parents) don't
>>  know that brer (or bre'r) means "brother." One English
>>  Professor (sic!) splained to me that that was the spelling
>>  for 'briar' ! (Member, Bre'r Rabbit lived in the briar
>>  patch!) They some r-full folk in the world (and even better
>>  folk-etymologizers).
>>
>>  How the turtle got in:
>>
>>  The three of 'em (rabbit, turtle, lizard) was buddies and
>>  saved and bought a farm, but wouldn't nothin grow without an
>>  exotic fertilizer.
>>  Rabbit was chose to go off  and get it (somewhere far away of
>>  course). Lizard and turtle was trying to scrape somethin out
>>  of the bad ground while he was gone but struck oil. After
>>  they was rollin in dough and put up their mansion, rabbit
>>  come back with a little bag of shit and, piuzzled, went up to
>>  the door and asked for his ol buiddies. The word final stress
>>  on turTELL and liZARD represent the snootiness of the butler,
>>  and help make the punch line (rabBIT) funnier.
>>
>>  Naturally, the telling of it takes much longer than this
>>  quick summary, but that's where the turtle came from in the
>>  Louisville version.
>>
>>  dInIs
>>
>>
>>  >---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  >-----------------------
>>  >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  >Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
>>  >Subject:      Re: Very OT: Uncle Remus frightened me as a child Re:
>>  >"Jazz Means
>>  >               Happy and Loose Like" (1917)
>>  >-------------------------------------------------------------
>>  ----------
>>  >--------
>>  >
>>  >"*Remusian* 'Bruh'"? I thought that the "Remusian" stories
>>  used "Brer."
>>  >I heard the story from my mother about sixty-five years ago and she
>>  >used [br@] and not [brei@(r)], which is the only pronunciation I've
>>  >ever heard used among blacks for the spelling, "brer." Either her
>>  >memory is wrong or my memory is wrong or the versions are simply
>>  >different. Like, how does the turtle get into the story? And, of
>>  >course, things do change with the passage of time.
>>  >
>>  >I've just heard "do you _a_ solid" used on the tube for the
>>  umpteenth
>>  >time. Yet, I've known the expression as "do you _some_
>>  solid" for the
>>  >past sixty or so years. I wonder how "a solid" is negated. To negate
>>  >"some solid," I say, "I can't do you no solid," which
>  > probably takes no
>>  >one by surprise.
>>  >
>>  >So, is "err" pronounced [^r] or [ei at r]?
>>  >
>>  >-Wilson
>  > >
>>  >On Dec 4, 2007 7:48 PM, Jonathan Lighter
>>  <wuxxmupp2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>  >>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  >>-----------------------
>>  >>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  >>  Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
>>  >>  Subject:      Re: Very OT: Uncle Remus frightened me as a child
>>  >>Re: "Jazz Means
>>  >>                Happy and Loose Like" (1917)
>>  >>
>>  >>------------------------------------------------------------
>>  ----------
>>  >>---------
>>  >>
>>  >>  The version I heard in the '70s also included "Mr.
>>  TurTOOL is out by
>>  >>the pool."  I don't recall the Remusian "Bruh" honorifics, however.
>>  >>
>>  >>    JL
>>  >>
>>  >>  Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>  >>    ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  >>-----------------------
>>  >>  Sender: American Dialect Society
>>  >>  Poster: Wilson Gray
>>  >>  Subject: Re: Very OT: Uncle Remus frightened me as a
>>  child Re: "Jazz
>>  >>Means
>>  >>  Happy and Loose Like" (1917)
>>  >>
>>  >>------------------------------------------------------------
>>  ----------
>>  >>---------
>>  >>
>>  >>  When I was a child, somebody gave me a copy of the book for
>>  >> Christmas,  but I wasn't able to make any sense out of it,
>>  even with
>>  >> the aid of  the accompanying illustrations and nobody in my family
>>  >> was able to  read it to me. Nineteenth-century Black English
>>  >> eye-dialect wasn't  taught in school. Nowadays, I know
>>  that "brer" doesn't spell "brayer"
>>  >>  and that "sezee" doesn't spell "see zee."
>>  >>
>>  >>  Here followeth the only tale of anything at all like
>>  those of the
>>  >> Uncle Remus school that I've ever heard. It dates from around the
>>  >> time  of my mother's childhood, AFAIK. Ca.1910? Earlier? Later?
>>  >  >
>>  >>  Bruh Rabbit and Bruh Buzzard were partners in a business
>>  cleaning
>>  >> outhouses. After a day's work, Bruh Rabbit went by Bruh Buzzard's
>>  >> mansion. Bruh Rabbit rang the doorbell. The butler
>>  answered the door
>>  >> and asked,
>>  >>
>>  >>  But: Yes, sir? May I help you?
>>  >>  Rab: Bruh Buzzud tuh home?
>>  >>  But: Yes, sir. Mister BuzZARD is out in the yard.
>>  >>  Rab: "No lie? Well, tell 'im that Bruthuh RabBIT is heanh
>>  wit duh shit."
>>  >>
>>  >>  -Wilson
>>  >>
>>  >>
>>  >>
>>  >>
>>  >>
>>  >>  On Dec 4, 2007 9:47 AM, Amy West wrote:
>>  >>  > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  >>-----------------------
>>  >>  > Sender: American Dialect Society
>>  >>  > Poster: Amy West
>>  >>  > Subject: Very OT: Uncle Remus frightened me as a child
>>  Re: "Jazz
>>  >>Means
>>  >>  > Happy and Loose Like" (1917)
>>  >>  >
>>  >>------------------------------------------------------------
>>  ----------
>>  >>---------
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  > A personal anecdote:
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  > I never read the Uncle Remus stories as a child. I have
>>  a distinct
>>  >>  > memory of pulling it off the shelf of the branch library in
>>  >>  > Tonawonda, NY, opening it, and not recognizing it as any type of
>>  >>  > English I was familiar with -- and I was used to
>>  foreign languages
>>  >>  > with my dad doing German and Russian translations --
>>  nor the type
>>  >>of
>>  >>  > English that my (white) Southern relations spoke. And it scared
>>  >>the
>>  >>  > bejeesus out of me. I put that thing back on the shelf and never
>>  >>  > touched it again.
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  > ---Amy West
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  > >Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2007 16:01:56 -0500
>>  >>  > >From: "Baker, John"
>>  >>  > >Subject: Re: "Jazz Means Happy and Loose Like" (1917)
>>  >>  > >
>>  >>  > > "Rastus" seems to have been popularized by Brer Rastus, the
>>  >>  > >deacon of a colored church, in the story "Uncle Remus's Church
>>  >>  > >Experience," collected in Joel Chandler Harris, Uncle
>>  Remus, His
>>  >>Songs
>>  >>  > >and His Sayings: The Folk-Lore of the Old Plantation 190 - 93
>>  >>(1881;
>>  >>  > >copyright 1880) (Google Books full text). But Harris does not
>>  >>seem to
>>  >>  > >have invented the use. Here's an earlier, passing example:
>>  >>  > >
>>  >>  > > "While Brudder 'Rastus Putts passes round de hat, de
>  > >>  > >congregashun will please sing de useal Ducksholiday to de same
>  > >>good ole
>>  >>  > >tune."
>>  >>  > >
>>  >>  > >Professor Julius Caesar Hannibal [probably a pseudonym], Black
>>  >>Diamonds;
>>  >>  > >or, Humor, Satire and Sentiment, Treated
>>  Scientifically 15 (1857;
>>  >>  > >copyright 1855) (Google Books full text).
>>  >>  > >
>>  >>  > >John Baker
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  > ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >>  > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>  >>  >
>>  >>
>>  >>
>>  >>
>>  >>  --
>>  >>  All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange
>>  complaint
>>  >> to  come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
>>  >>  -----
>>  >>  -Sam'l Clemens
>>  >>
>>  >>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>  >>
>>  >>
>>  >>
>>  >>  ---------------------------------
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>>  >>
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>>  >>
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >--
>>  >All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange
>>  complaint to
>>  >come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
>>  >-----
>>  >                                               -Sam'l Clemens
>>  >
>>  >------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>>
>>  --
>>  Dennis R. Preston
>>  University Distinguished Professor
>>  Department of English
>>  Morrill Hall 15-C
>>  Michigan State University
>>  East Lansing, MI 48864 USA
>>
>>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org


--
It should be the chief aim of a university professor to exhibit
himself [sic] in his own true character - that is, as an ignorant man
thinking, actively utilizing his small share of knowledge. Alfred
North Whitehead

Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
Morrill Hall 15-C
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1036 USA
Office: (517) 353-4736
Fax: (517) 353-3755

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