The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #41062   Message #2652323
Posted By: GUEST,Lighter
09-Jun-09 - 12:29 PM
Thread Name: Donkey Riding - What's Hong-ki-kong?
Subject: RE: Donkey Riding - What's Hong-ki-kong?
Snuffy & Gibb, "See the king in his golden crown" may well be legit.
It certainly occurs in a 19th C. music-hall sea song called "Little Powder Monkey Jim." Which is not say that other things weren't also sung.

IMHO, "only charge you half a crown" is a little too indirect for folk bawdry. The "half a crown" part sounds absolutely right, but my guess is that unrefined sailors would have said exactly what the "girls" were charging half a crown for.

But "Where the skeeters do bite we" is indeed ridiculous.