Quote: I know only two tunes; one is Yankee Doodle, and the other isn't. (U. S. Grant variant Lincoln)

[Mullins, Bill CIV (US)]

Didn't Victor Borge use this line?  "One is Clair de Lune and on isn't."

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
> Behalf Of ADSGarson O'Toole
> Sent: Thursday, December 26, 2013 4:18 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: Quote: I know only two tunes; one is Yankee Doodle, and
> the other isn't. (U. S. Grant variant Lincoln)
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
---------------
> --------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Quote: I know only two tunes; one is Yankee Doodle,
> and the
>               other isn't. (U. S. Grant variant Lincoln)
>
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> --------
>
> A discussion thread on the topic in the subject line occurred on this
> mailing list in May 2012. Now the Quote Investigator website has an
> entry with an acknowledgment to list participants. Feedback welcome:
>
> http://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/12/26/two-tunes/
>
> Thanks, Garson
>
>
>
> On Wed, May 16, 2012 at 2:45 PM, Garson O'Toole
> <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
-------------
> ----------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Garson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: Quote: I know only two tunes; one is Yankee
Doodle,
> and the
> >               other isn't. (U. S. Grant variant Lincoln)
> >
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> -
> > ---------
> >
> > Cite: 1839 May 4, Musical Review, Page 11. (Google Books full view)
> >
> http://books.google.com/books?id=iQYtAAAAYAAJ&q=%22two+tunes%22#v=snip
> > pet&
> >
> > [Begin excerpt]
> > We ought to apologize for swearing, but really we suffer
considerably
> > from music, and only know two tunes, one of which it " Old Hundred,"
> > and the other isn't.
> > Picayune
> > [Old excerpt]
> >
> > On Wed, May 16, 2012 at 1:58 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net>
> wrote:
> >> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
------------
> -----------
> >> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> >> Subject:      Re: Quote: I know only two tunes; one is Yankee
> Doodle, and the
> >>              other isn't. (U. S. Grant variant Lincoln)
> >>
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> -
> >> ----------
> >>
> >> Did these speakers -- U.S. Grant, Abe Lincoln, Peter Wimsey --
> really
> >> say "isn't"?  I can definitely hear at least Wimsey saying "ain't"
-
> -
> >> it was I think common in his speech.  And Grant?
> >>
> >> Joel
> >>
> >> At 5/16/2012 01:47 PM, Garson O'Toole wrote:
> >>>Ulysses S. Grant died in 1885 so this attribution in 1888 is
> somewhat late.
> >>>
> >>>Cite: 1888, Educational Topics of the Day: Chips from a Teacher's
> >>>Workshop by L. R. Klemm, Chapter III: Fundamental Errors in
> Teaching,
> >>>Page 127, Lee and Shepard Publishers, Boston. (Google Books full
> >>>view)
> >>>
> >>>[Begin excerpt]
> >>>Thirty years ago this country was songless. Gen. Grant used to say:
> >>>"I know only two tunes; one is Yankee Doodle, and the other isn't."
> >>>[End excerpt]
> >>>
> >>>Researcher Paul F Boller has a version of the story in his book of
> >>>Presidential anecdotes. There is a footnote, but I cannot read it
in
> >>>Google Books because the relevant footnote page is apparently
> blocked.
> >>>
> >>>Presidential anecdotes
> >>>Author: Paul F Boller
> >>>Publisher: New York : Oxford University Press, 1996.
> >>>
>
>>>http://books.google.com/books?id=N0JRvfAIUFwC&q=%22two+tunes%22#v=sn
> i
> >>>ppet&
> >>>
> >>>There is a variant anecdote featuring Lincoln instead of Grant. The
> >>>following pamphlet was published in 1914, but the incident
> apparently
> >>>was reported to have occurred in 1860.
> >>>
> >>>Cite: 1914,  Abraham Lincoln's Visit to Evanston in 1860 by J.
> >>>Seymour Currey, Page 14, City National Bank, Evanston. (Google
Books
> >>>full
> >>>view)
> >>>
>
>>>http://books.google.com/books?id=1rXfAAAAMAAJ&q=%22two+tunes%22#v=sn
> i
> >>>ppet&
> >>>
> >>>[Begin excerpt]
> >>>A really good quartet, led by our long-time friend and fellow
> >>>citizen, Charles G. Ayars, called for Lincoln's special
> commendation;
> >>>and I recall how he put his arms around Ayars' shoulders, and said:
> >>>'Young man, I wish I could sing as well as you. Unfortunately I
know
> >>>only two tunes, one is "Old Hundred." and the other isn't.'
> >>>[End excerpt]
> >>>
>
>>>http://books.google.com/books?id=1rXfAAAAMAAJ&q=%22two+tunes%22#v=sn
> i
> >>>ppet&
> >>>
> >>>Searches for this post were performed only in GB.
> >>
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------
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> >
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>
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