[Ads-l] Polly want a cracker?

Sun Mar 17 20:44:42 UTC 2019

This 1998 movie concerns a male parrot named "Paulie."

Get it?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125454/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

JL

On Sun, Mar 17, 2019 at 2:40 PM Mark Mandel <mark.a.mandel at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
>

-- 
"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