[Ads-l] Thirty Days Hath Septober

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Apparently, the joke evolved over many years. Below is a citation from
1899 for the wordplay that transforms "November" to "no wonder".

Year: 1899 Copyright
Title: Encyclopedia of Comedy: For Professional Entertainers, Social
Clubs, Comedians, Lodges and All who are in Search of Humorous
Literature
Author: J. Melville Janson  (James Melville Janson)
Publisher: David McKay, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chapter; Sketches
Quote Page 467

https://books.google.com/books?id=tUAOAAAAIAAJ&q=%22and+no+wonder%22#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
Steve (excitedly).---Thirty days hath September, April, June and November.

Andy.---Liar! thirty months hath September, April, June and no wonder
(takes his hat, throws it on the floor excitedly, Steve looks at Andy
with astonishment and taps him on the forehead, says, Andy nothing
there, all exit, all gone. Business of gesticulating.)
[End excerpt]

Garson O'Toole

On Sun, Apr 23, 2017 at 11:47 AM, Bill Mullins <amcombill at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Thirty days hath Septober
> April, June, and no wonder!
> All the rest have Peanut Butter,
> Except my Grandmother!
> She has a little red tricycle!
>
>
> Another list I subscribe to had a discussion about the subject poem.  It started by explaining that when Napoleon XIV (recording engineer Jerry Samuels) released his novelty hit single "They're Coming to Take me Away", he followed it up with an album.  Most tracks were similar, less funny variations  of the title song, but one was "Little Red Tricycle", with lyrics:
>
> ----------
> Thirty days hath Septober;
> April, June, and no wonder;
> All the rest have peanut butter,
> All except my dear grandmother -- she had a little red tricycle
> I stole it! (pleased demented laughter)
>
> I am in love with my little red tricycle
> It has pedals, and a seat that has springs
> And wheels that have spokes
> That don't speak till they're spoken to
> And a little bell that I can ring
>
> See? See?
>
> Thirty days hath Septober;
> April, June, and no wonder;
> All the rest have peanut butter,
> All except my dear grandmother -- she had a little red tricycle
> It's mine now! (triumphant demented laughter)
>
> When I am riding my little red tricycle
> Why do people always stop and ask me,
> "Why must you ride on that little red tricycle?
> -- Act your age! You know you're forty-three!"
>
> I didn't really steal the tricycle from my grandmother
> It followed me home! (embarrassed demented laughter)
> ----------
>
> Link to "Little Red Tricycle" from the album "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" by Napoleon XIV:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvABMymQz_k
>
>
>
> Another list participant remembered having seen the 1st verse in an issue of _Mad Magazine_ as a child, from before 1966.  He found it in the Oct 1957 issue -- a reader pointed out that a parody of _TV Guide_ ("_TV Guise_") had a cover date of June 31, and the editors ("the usual gang of idiots") responded
> "The little rhyme we remember was:
>
> Thirty days hath Septober
> April, June, and no wonder!
> All the rest have Peanut Butter,
> Except my Grandmother!
> She has a little red tricycle! "
>
> Another participant wondered if the Mad editors wrote the poem, and Samuels saw it and recycled it for his album.  I've since found it in _The Des Moines Register_ Jun 8 1941, in an article about jokes and nonsense sayings from school kids.
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org