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Folklore: 'Fingernail Moon' metaphor
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Subject: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphore From: wdyat12 Date: 09 Feb 01 - 08:16 AM Twenty-five years ago I wrote a tune called "Girl on the Eastern Shore," in which I incorporated the visual metaphor of specific moon phases. At the time I thought by referring to the moon in its pre-quarter and post-last quarter stages as a "fingernail moon," I could somehow express the intervals in a person's life and relationship with another person. This idea sounds pretty sophomoric to me now; however, at the time I thought it to be original. I never published this song although I played it several times at college gigs around Boston in the seventies. Many years later the "fingernail moon" metaphor popped into my consciousness again while viewing a rerun of "The Stand" by Stephen King on cable. The use of this phrase by a well known and respected writer caught me off guard to say the least. My invention was not original. Had I been asleep in sophomore English class, receiving subliminal messages from Miss Webster? Which line from Shakespeare did I miss that day? Can anyone tell me the origin of the "fingernail moon" metaphor? |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Snuffy Date: 09 Feb 01 - 10:04 AM The little white bits at the base of your nails are known as half-moons in England, but I've never heard of your phrase. I presume it means "in the shape of a nail-clipping? |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Sorcha Date: 09 Feb 01 - 10:19 AM Dredging the old grey stuff here....seems to me it was one of the Big Tragedies. Macbeth, mabye? I'll bet Matt R knows, he is a Shakespeare nut. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Mrrzy Date: 09 Feb 01 - 12:13 PM When the moon is a tiny sliver, my twins say it's Abiyoyo's fingernail - and they did this all by themselves. I think it is an inevitable metaphor because that is what it looks like. My guess is, simple observation. But I'd be interested in Matt's take... |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: GUEST,Wavestar Date: 09 Feb 01 - 12:41 PM I'm a bit of Shakespeare nut myself, but nothing leaps to mind. I'll get back to you on that one. When I was a kid my mother read me a book that referred to the thinnest incarnation of the moon, when you can barely see the sliver, as a 'racoon's whisker'. I always loved the image. -J |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: GUEST,Wavestar Date: 09 Feb 01 - 12:59 PM Having thoroughly checked my Shakespeare concordances, etc, I can tell you Shakespeare never said anything about a fingernail moon, or used the metaphor, at least not specifically as such. He refers repeatedly to a horned moon, though, which was a more common image of the day - both things hanging on the horns of the moon, and a character playing the horned moon in MSND. I suspect, like Mrrzy, that it's just a relatively common metaphor because it resembles the curve of a nail. There was another story I'm remembering for childhood about a princess who wanted the moon, who said it was just the size of her thumbnail, she could tell because if she put up her thumb against the moon, it just covered it. So the court jester made her a little silver disk the size of her thumbnail to hang on a chain from her throat, so she could have th moon. Another lovely image. -J |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: GUEST,Howard Long (from China) Date: 10 Feb 01 - 12:31 AM When my youngest daughter was 2 she called the little sliver of the moon a "cheshire cat moon". She got this from the Disney version of "Alice in Wonderland" (referring to the Cheshire Cat smiling in the dark).She's 10 now and every time we see the moon in that stage that's what we call it.I think you should re-name your song in her honor!! Howard |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: wdyat12 Date: 10 Feb 01 - 03:08 AM Dear Mr. Long, Since the inspiration for "Girl on the Eastern Shore" came from the Muses of my youth, I would be honored to dedicate this song to your daughter. The writing of the music and lyrics were given to me with no one in mind. I can not change the title for that was sent from the Muses also, but your daughter can be the object of this tune if you move her to the eastern shore of any body of water. wdyat12 |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: wdyat12 Date: 10 Feb 01 - 03:53 AM Mrzzy, Your twins are very perceptive. wdyat12 |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: wdyat12 Date: 10 Feb 01 - 03:55 AM Snuffy, Thank you for that bit of information. wdyat12 |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: wdyat12 Date: 10 Feb 01 - 04:05 AM Sorcha, thanks for scratching your head on this one. You give me yet another source. wdyat12 |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: wdyat12 Date: 10 Feb 01 - 04:16 AM Yes! Wavestar, this is what I wanted to hear! That the "Fingernail Moon" metaphor is common and universal, not an original thought at all. Something in my consiousness that links me to everyone else. "Raccoon's Whisker" sounds like a good fiddle tune don't you think? wdyat12 |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: GUEST,Wavestar Date: 10 Feb 01 - 10:01 AM It does rather :) It always reminds me of home in Colorado, mountains forming the horizon, and a sky so blue you just can't believe it. -J |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Liz the Squeak Date: 10 Feb 01 - 06:41 PM There is a book somewhere (one of the 1000 odd in this house I think.....) that mentions a 'moon as thin as a nail paring' - meaning it looked like one of those toenails you always find AFTER you've brushed your teeth. Can't remember where, although it was probably either a crime or a science fiction. Might have been a classic, or one of the children's books. Of course, it could be in the biographies or the history stuff. Ho hum. I'm going to have to read the whole bally lot to find which one it was now!! LTS |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: GUEST,Wavestar Date: 10 Feb 01 - 09:11 PM Forgive me, Liz, I'm curious. My finding nail parings ususally has no bearing whatsoever on whether I've brushed my teeth - are you finding these things in your toothbrush, or what? If so, you ought to try clipping your nails over the bin... -J |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: GUEST Date: 11 Feb 01 - 04:38 PM My mother,who had beautiful nails, always encouraged me to push back the cuticles so that the moons would show; I never did manage it. I think it is just a common idea. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Inukshuk Date: 11 Feb 01 - 07:22 PM Toronto Poet Julie McNeil puts a rather different slant on finger nail moons. "Four crescent moons in the sky of my palm. ... I have bled four thin ribbons ... Now I wear four white scars and whenever I open my hand ..." It comes from clenching ones fist too tightly.
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Liz the Squeak Date: 11 Feb 01 - 07:47 PM Wavestar - they are definately someone else's.... I don't clip mine as the state of my socks will show!! *BG* Besides, don't you find they fly off in all directions?? LTS |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: wdyat12 Date: 12 Feb 01 - 12:31 AM Don't you hate that when that happens? wdyat12 |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Gervase Date: 12 Feb 01 - 07:51 AM Really Liz; and there was me thinking you could bite your toenails! Does anyone know the etymology for the other moon-shape, the waning gibous moon? It's a wonderful word (for me, redolent of apes and things - don't ask me why!), but I've no idea of its origin. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Wavestar Date: 12 Feb 01 - 09:40 AM Gervase, I suspect it's redolent of apes because of gibbons, which are a type of ape or monkey (I'm almost positive.) I can check out the etymology of gibous for you - Once again, I'll get back to you :) -J PS LTS, my nails can't fly, I cup my hands around my toes. It's getting the clippings to let go of the clipper that's a problem. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Wavestar Date: 14 Feb 01 - 07:09 AM Gervase- Gibbous, referring to the waning moon in the third quarter, comes from gibus, the Latin meaning lump, or hump, I can't remember exactly. It refers to the convex shape of the moon, as if it were humpbacked! Well, you asked. -J |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: wdyat12 Date: 14 Feb 01 - 05:44 PM Nice work Wavestar! Do you like doing research? wdyat12 |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Art Thieme Date: 14 Feb 01 - 11:03 PM On another tack: The fine old ballad "SIR PATRICK SPENCE" (Child #58) --
'Alake and alas now, good master Many is the time I have seen that very thing---the larger darker oval cradled in the the silver sliver of the brighter crescent. Art Thieme |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: wdyat12 Date: 14 Feb 01 - 11:35 PM Thanks Art, For another variation on a theme. I must admit I hadn't realized the scope of my question. We're gonna have an anthology here pretty soon if this thread keeps growing. wdyat12 |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Burke Date: 14 Feb 01 - 11:42 PM Here you are: http://www.homeworship101.com/calendar.htm http://www.swagazine.com/issue1/mylife4.html |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: wdyat12 Date: 15 Feb 01 - 12:17 AM Burke, Thank you so much for "...My Life for a fingernail moon" and all the other calendrical charts and explanations. I might have to change my thesis topic now! wdyat12 |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Wavestar Date: 15 Feb 01 - 08:27 AM Hi wdyat12 - I do like research, this also caught my fancy. I was curious. Burke, that's quite a poem - how did you find those pages? Again, I'm curious. cheers, -J |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Gervase Date: 15 Feb 01 - 08:39 AM Thanks Wavestar. Another mystery solved (and a self-administered kick up the arse for not remembering my Latin!) |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Crazy Eddie Date: 15 Feb 01 - 09:31 AM Art Thieme, Thank you, I am really glad you mentioned that. I'd read Sir Patrick a few times, but never knew what that line was about. Then, a few weeks ago, I was out in the early evening and saw a gibbous moon, quite dark. A couple of hours later, I saw a bright crescent moon, which was the OPPOSITE part, to what I'd seen earlier. This puzzled me, as I've never noticed it before. I mentioned it to a couple of people, who basically said I'd imagined it. However, it seems very closely related to what you mention. Eddie, (relieved that he wasn't hallucinating) |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Origin of 'Fingernail Moon' Metaphor From: Art Thieme Date: 15 Feb 01 - 09:45 PM JUDY ROSE, an old friend, does a wonderful radio show for WPR -- Wisconsin Public Radio called SIMPLY FOLK. Judy and I have talked and corresponded over the years about this lunar aspect of "Sir Patrick Spens". November 5, 1999 she sent me this from the Associated Press:
If the sky is clear, a rare and startling celestial show will greet early risers Tuesday when Venus, the bright star Regulus and a crescent moon highlighted by light reflected from Earth will form a tight triangle close to the eastern horizon. Judy wrote then: Dear Art, See the last 3 paragraphs---This is what's going on in "Sir Patric Spens", isn't it ? Seems to me the weather books talk about clear cold nights, dark of the moon, high winds aloft.-----Judy (Personally, that does look right to me------Art Thieme
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