[SPAM] Way OT: "Mademoiselle from Armentieres"

[Jim Parish]

I know of the song, but not much of the words. Most of my knowledge 
stems from Sinclair Lewis' _It Can't Happen Here_; the U.S. government, 
preparing the people for a war of conquest with Mexico, put out a new 
version, IIRC entitled "Sen~orit' from Nayarit", and rhyming "she smiled 
all over her khaki pan" with "what a man!".

FWIW.

Jim Parish

On 8/2/2014 8:01 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Way OT: "Mademoiselle from Armentieres"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Am finishing a pedantic study of this once-famous WW1 song, which I
> mentioned here many years ago.
>
> I was surprised recently when a somewhat younger colleague admitted to
> having heard the name at one point but knew nothing whatever beyond that.
> Nothing.
>
> OK, silly question: does the song or the name have any particular
> associations for members of this distinguished forum? (Beyond the fact that
> the Mlle. hadn't been kissed in 40 years.)
>
> The popular image is/was that, being French, she was some kind of sex
> kitten.  Yet the only verse most people know suggests the opposite.
>
> I'm interested in the Mademoiselle as Rohrschach test. The song was a big
> deal 100 years ago and was frequently commented on in the postwar press.
> Has it any resonance left?  Does anyone here know more than the best-known
> stanza? (There once were many.)
>
> If the subject is too far afield for the list, email me.
>
> JL
>

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