[Ads-l] Polly want a cracker?

[Mark Mandel]

OK. There seem to have been numerous minor variations, esp.in pronouns,
depending on how the jingle was used.

 Mark

On Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 4:13 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> I remember the brand but not the ad.
>
> N.B., "Poll" is assumed to be male: "as fast as he can fly."
>
> JL
>
> On Sat, Mar 16, 2019 at 4:11 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Mar 16, 2019 at 1:51 PM Mark Mandel <mark.a.mandel at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> This thread instantly brought to my mind an advertising jingle I must
> not
> >> have heard since the fifties:
> >>
> >> Poll Parrot, Poll Parrot,
> >> The shoes you want to buy.
> >> They make your feet run faster,
> >> As fast as I can fly.
> >>
> >> https://youtu.be/q0Ac0sC_CTA
> >> 1950s animated commercial
> >>
> >> Mark Mandel, never a wearer AFAIR
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, Mar 13, 2019, 8:10 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> > "Poll parrot" was the normal unisex nominal used by my NYC
> grandparents
> >> as
> >> > well, at least for the domesticated talking kind. My wife agrees that
> a
> >> > wild parrot would not be a likely referent for "poll parrot."
> >> >
> >> > OED: 1768 (with "Poll" as a psittacine Christian name from 1600).
> >> >
> >> > JL
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On Wed, Mar 13, 2019 at 5:12 PM Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > > > a Poll Parrot
> >> > >
> >> > > The usual term for _a parrot_ amongst the colored people of my day.
> My
> >> > > boojie analysis of it as a "mistake" based on a mispronunciation of
> >> > "Polly
> >> > > Parrot" clearly was an error.
> >> > >
> >> > > Youneverknow.
> >> > >
> >> > > On Sun, Mar 10, 2019 at 10:02 PM Jonathan Lighter <
> >> > wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> >> > > wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > > A key parrot phrase. The original "cracker" seems to have been a
> >> > sailor's
> >> > > > "hard cracker" (hardtack biscuit), and the phrase is evidently an
> >> > > > Americanism:
> >> > > >
> >> > > > 1849 _Knickerbocker_ (Dec.) 544: For sale, a Poll Parrot, cheap.
> He
> >> > says
> >> > > a
> >> > > > remarkable variety of words and phrases, cries 'Fire! fire!' and
> >> 'You
> >> > > > rascal!' and 'Polly want a cracker;' and would not be parted with,
> >> but,
> >> > > > having been brought up with a sea-captain he is profane, and
> swears
> >> too
> >> > > > much for the subscriber, being a pious man, and having children in
> >> the
> >> > > > family, to whom his example is bad.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > 1852 [L. Lermont] _Aunt Patty's Mirror_ (Auburn, N.Y.:  Alden,
> >> > > Beardsley, &
> >> > > > Co.) 144  Common parrots...never in their education get beyond
> "Poll
> >> > > wants
> >> > > > a cracker!" and "Poll wants to get out!"
> >> > > >
> >> > > > 1855 _Daily Cleveland [O.] Herald (Sept. 6) 1:  With no more
> >> apparent
> >> > > > unction than a parrot would repeat "pretty Polly want a cracker."
> >> > > >
> >> > > > 1858_Weekly Ottumwa [Ia.]  Courier_  (March 18) 3: Polly want a
> >> > cracker?
> >> > > >
> >> > > > 1858 _Weekly Hawk-Eye_ (Burlington, Ia.) (Aug. 31) 3: Polly wants
> a
> >> > > > cracker!
> >> > > >
> >> > > > 1864 _Urbana [O.] Union_ (Dec. 7) 1: The parrot turned her head,
> and
> >> > > > looking at me sharply, said rapidly: ... "Pretty Poll, pretty
> Poll,
> >> > poor
> >> > > > Poll, Polly wants a cracker!"
> >> > > >
> >> > > > 1866 _New-Orleans Times_  (May 22) (Suppl.) 2: We give the
> following
> >> > > advice
> >> > > > to our contributors: "P.Q."-- Mind your p's and q's. ... "R.G."
> >> [i.e.,
> >> > > > "rotgut"] -- Not any more, thank you. ... Polly--Polly want a
> >> cracker?
> >> > > >
> >> > > > 1888 _Aberdeen [Scot.] Weekly Journal_ (Apr. 21) [unp.]:
> >> Dealer...(to
> >> > > > parrot): "Polly want a cracker?" Polly (solemnly)--Let her go,
> >> > > Gallegher."
> >> > > >
> >> > > > JL
> >> > > >
> >> > > > --
> >> > > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle
> the
> >> > > truth."
> >> > > >
> >> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> >> > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >> > > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > --
> >> > > -Wilson
> >> > > -----
> >> > > 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.
> >> > > -Mark Twain
> >> > >
> >> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> >> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >> > >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> >> truth."
> >> >
> >> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> >> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >> >
> >>
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------
> >> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
> >
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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