Limerick (poem) antedating Nov. 30, 1880

[Shapiro, Fred]

Yes, another tremendously important discovery by Stephen!

Fred Shapiro



________________________________________
From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jonathan Lighter [wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM]
Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 10:40 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Limerick (poem) antedating Nov. 30, 1880

A fabulous discovery, Stephen!

If anyone out there can't see why:

1. Earliest known connection, by many years, of the word "Limerick" with the
verse form.

2. Confirmation that the verses were sung rather than simply recited from at
least 1880.

3. Confirmation that the tune used was the Irish slip jig, "Won't You Come
(Up) to Limerick?"

4. Confirmation that that phrase was used as a chorus.
5. Convergence of all these factors in North America - amazing in itself.

Almost too good to be true...

Yet true nonetheless.

Awesome.

JL



On Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 10:17 AM, Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
> Subject:      Limerick (poem) antedating Nov. 30, 1880
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> St. John Daily News, St. John, N. B.
> Edward Willis, Proprietor
> Tuesday Nov 30, 1880
> Vol. XLII, no. 281
> page 4, column 5
>
> [headline:} Wise and Otherwise
> ....
> There was a young rustic named Mallory,
> who drew but a very small salary. When
> he went to show, his purse made him go to
> a seat in the uppermost gallery. Tune,
> wont you come to Limerick.
>
>
> http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Fx81AAAAIBAJ&sjid=kCYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3306,6135404&dq=come-to-limerick&hl=en
>
> Stephen Goranson
> http://www.duke.edu/~goranson
>
> Worldcat:
> Daily evening news
>
> 1839-1884
> English Serial Publication Serial Publication : Newspaper : Daily :
> Microform
> Microform v. ill.
> Saint John, N.B.
>        Get This Item
> # Availability:         Check the catalogs in your library. Libraries
> worldwide that
> own item: 2
> # Find this in your library Search the catalog at your library
> # External Resources:
> # Link to external web site Cite This Item
>        Find Related
> More Like This:         Advanced options ...
> Title:  Daily evening news
> Publication:    Saint John, N.B.
> Place:  Canada; New Brunswick; Saint John.
> Year:   1839-1884
> Frequency:      Annual Daily.
> Description:    Sept. 16, 1839-Apr. 8, 1884.; v. ill.
> Language:       English
>        SUBJECT(S)
> Descriptor:     Canadian newspapers (English) -- New Brunswick -- Saint
> John.
> Geographic:     Saint John (N.B.)
> Note(s):        Reproduction: Microfilm./ [Ottawa],/ Canadian Library
> Association,/
> 1969./ reels. 35 mm.
> Other Titles:   Daily evening news (St. John, N.B.); Commercial news and
> general
> advertiser; Sept.16, 1839-Mar.30, 1840.; Morning news; Apr.3, 1840-Apr.23,
> 1841.; Saint John daily news; 1872-80.
> Material Type:  Newspaper (new); Microfilm (mfl)
> Document Type:  Serial
> Entry:  19850226
> Update:         20090515
> Accession No:   OCLC: 321025397
> Database:       WorldCat
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



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