E.g., re his speculative tone, he ends a section of his introduction, on the relationship of tunes with words in varying versions by explicitly stating, "Alas, it is difficult, if not impossible, to substantiate these speculations"(p lvi).

In the present instance, thinking further: although one can see how "bugaboo" could, in some mondegreen-ish mishearings have become corrupted in some renderings as "foggy dew", it is surely astonishing that this should have taken so firm a hold that the rendering became, it is no exaggeration surely to say, universal: to the extent indeed that this is now the only, and universally accepted, title for this particular song. For this to have happened, it is at least surely arguable, and reasonable to think, that some association in the popular consciousness with the concept of "dew" should have been at play to produce this universal effect ~~ as, perhaps, some symbolic association of dew with virginity in some sort of traditional consciousness, such as to give rise to Reeves' (and others') speculations; which you nevertheless persist as taking as so unacceptable as to render them necessary, judging by your denunciatory tone of scouting scornfulness, to be declared as thoroughly out of court.

Would you care to comment on this?

~M~