Guest Jack: I have never heard that version of the line, and suppose it is corrupt; "nice" in that sense is recent. The version I know best has "And he is a fine young man"; Child likewise quotes an American version "And a fine young man is he". Earlier versions have "And by him I have a son" or the like, which express the real point. Serious business.

*

I have since thought of another embarrassing line from Bob Dylan: "In the ovens they fried". Ick.

--- Joe Fineman    joe_f@verizon.net

||: The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits. :||