sophocleese: flavoured? (and Gabriel's a guy, insofar as one can assign angels gender).

re: Holly & Ivy: how long ago and/or in what dialect of English was "choir" rhymed with "deer"? Certainly in present-day Standard American English (which of course we Seattleites speak in its purest form) "choir" is a homophone of "quire", but nowhere near a rhyme for "deer"; are there folks out there who say "choir" as a homophone of "queer"?

re: Christian expropriation of pagan oddments: Some time back in a different thread (I've actually forgotten where), I offered Mudcat my "Sol Invictus" carol, to Frère Jacques:

Sol Invictus, Sol Invictus
What a guy*, what a guy*,
Lets us use his birthday
to remember Jesus.
Thank you, Sol! Thank you, Sol!

* "god" may be substituted for "guy",
depending on one's theology or taste

Liland