it's not French, and it's not a song

Subject: it's not French, and it's not a song
From:
Date: 26 Nov 97 - 04:20 PM

Hi, try and work that one out:

Un p'tit d'un p'tit sétone aux halles.
Un p'tit d'un p'tit à degrés te fallent!
Indolent qui ne sort cesse,
Indolent qui ne se mène,
Qu'importe un p'tit d'un p'tit
Tout gai de reguennes.

Have fun (NB: the subject is a clue),
Charles

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Earl
Date: 26 Nov 97 - 05:04 PM

I figured it out but I won't give it away, just to egg you on :)

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 27 Nov 97 - 11:24 PM

G'day,
I'm having a good l'oeuf at a bad yoke.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Frank in the Swamps
Date: 27 Nov 97 - 11:53 PM

I finally got it, Charles must be Cracked.

Frank i.t.s.

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Alex
Date: 28 Nov 97 - 01:02 AM

I'd say un oeuf is enough!

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Frank in the Swamps
Date: 28 Nov 97 - 01:15 AM

I finally got it, Charles must be Cracked.

Frank i.t.s.

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Frank in the Swamps
Date: 28 Nov 97 - 01:32 AM

I finally got it, Charles must be Cracked.

Frank i.t.s.

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Frank in the Swamps.
Date: 28 Nov 97 - 01:35 AM

I don't know how that happened, I'm not on my own computer. I just reloaded the page and bingo. Oh well.

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: remi from France
Date: 28 Nov 97 - 06:21 PM

I noticed a spelling mistake in the not-french not-song from charles ; from my point of view, "sétone" should be spelt "s'étonne".

I couldn't find "reguennes" in "Le Petit Robert" (a 1968 edition).

That french song does'nt make sens. I don't care because i'ts not a song and it's not french.

remi from France.

P.S. : Unfortunately, my vinyl disc of Doc Watson "Lonesome road" get broken. I havn't heard "I recall a gipsy woman" and "Blue rail road train" for years and I miss them. Is that insoluble ?

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 01 Dec 97 - 06:06 PM

There's a whole book of that stuff, called "Mots d'Heures, Gousses, Rames".

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From:
Date: 02 Dec 97 - 10:32 PM

This is a reply to Remi of France

Most of Doc Watson's albums have been reissued as CDs. There are internet stores that stock them. A good collection is at CD universe, which also has more track listings than most other places. They can be found at:

http://www.cduniverse.com/programs/cdubin.exe/nfwelcome

Murray

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: rechal
Date: 03 Dec 97 - 01:05 PM

I vaguely remember a not-Latin thing of this type:

Si vili, si ergo

Fortibuces in ero

No ses Mari

Dei be trux

Vatis inum?

Chaos en dux.

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Bert
Date: 03 Dec 97 - 01:14 PM

Pas d'elle yieux Rhone que nous.

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Bert
Date: 03 Dec 97 - 01:19 PM

Rechal,

It's the folk process in action.
We used to say it like this

Der dago
Forte Lorez indero
demaint lorez, demiz trux
Fulla couzen enzen dux.

and while we are at this nonsense

L O L O
A Q I C
i 8 2 Q
B 4 I P

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Bruce O.
Date: 03 Dec 97 - 06:18 PM

Well, Bert opened the door, some here's sme from the 17th century

BL MS Add. 30982 [Also in MS Sloane 1489. On Robert Carr and Penelope Rich, after her murder by poisoning of Sir Tho. Overbury. Shorter versions of this are more common.]

I C U R good monseir Carr about to fall
U R A K as most men say but yts not all [K=knave
U O Q P wt a nullitie that wicked parte
S X Y F whose wicked life will breake ye neck [Essex wife]
thou Carr so I fairest boast didn't trust
pride, envie, murther, wanton lust.

BL MS Sloane 1489

U R I C poore Canterbury In a tottering state
A P O P yt say you'le be But tis to eate
S C O T some say tis he Brings all to sight
U R I C in some gt fear yoe savers not white
A G R Y If he come nigh will have ye miter
H G? A D & all for me shall fail ye Sighter

BL MS Harl. 4955, Bodleian MS

If U 2 I as I to U am true
I must lie & I/U I in U

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Bruce O.
Date: 04 Dec 97 - 04:03 PM

Note on the last above, that the 2nd line makes more sense if we take it to be:

I must lie I/U & I in U

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Bruce O.
Date: 04 Dec 97 - 04:03 PM

Note on the last above, that the 2nd line makes more sense if we take it to be:

I must lie I/U & I in U

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: alison
Date: 04 Dec 97 - 05:54 PM

YY U R

YY U B

I C U R

YY 4 me

slainte

Alison

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Sir
Date: 04 Dec 97 - 07:42 PM

From the Ozarks: "M R Snakes" "M R Not" "S M R C D BD I" "I B M R Snakes"

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Helen
Date: 04 Dec 97 - 10:07 PM

And a couple of others:

ABCD goldfish MNO goldfish MR catfish

I don't know if this one will translate without the square root symbol, and you need to know that in Australia the wword "root" means to have sex. I apologise beforehand but it's a classic maths class joke.

B4I (Root) U Ar 16

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Bruce O.
Date: 04 Dec 97 - 10:39 PM

Our answer used to go

L M N O goldfish
S A R 2 goldfish

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Earl
Date: 05 Dec 97 - 03:23 PM

Helen, In America we use lower math but a higher age of consent:

B4I4Q RU/18?

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Helen
Date: 05 Dec 97 - 04:51 PM

I sent my math message too quickly - didn't proff read it.

It should have been

B4I (Root) U RU/ 16

but I guess you figured it out.

Helen

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Nonie Rider
Date: 05 Dec 97 - 05:43 PM

I learned "ABC" with eagles, which gives you one more letter. The whole routine was:

AB, CDEagles? S, ICDEagles. L, MNOEagles! OSARDEagles!

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From:
Date: 06 Dec 97 - 12:26 PM

Could some of you high lifes explain in normal English the answers to these for us low lifes

Thanks

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 06 Dec 97 - 03:44 PM

Un p'tit d'un p'tit sétone aux halles, etc. [not "s'étonne"?]
Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall, etc. [lots of silent final letters in French].

Si vili, si ergo Fortibuces in ero No ses Mari Dei be trux Vatis inum? Chaos en dux.

See, Willy, see 'er go
Forty buses in a row
No says Mary
They be trucks
What is in 'em?
Cows and ducks

[V was apparently pronounced like W in classical Latin.]

YY U R, etc. = Too wise [Two y's] you are, etc.

AB, CDEagles? S, ICDEagles. L, MNOEagles! OSARDEagles!
Abie, see the eagles? Yes, I see the eagles. Hell, them ain't no eagles! Oh yes they are the eagles! [The version I learned started AB, CDB?]

BR I 4Q RU/18 (QT)? = Before I f*** you, are you over 18 (cutie)?

I have trouble with some of Bruce's antiques. URIC = You are I see, but what the heck are SCOT and AGRY?

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Bruce O.
Date: 06 Dec 97 - 04:20 PM

I was hoping someonce could tell me!

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 06 Dec 97 - 05:53 PM

Oh well. It's a folk form..

F U N E X? S I F X. F U N E M? I F M N X! O K

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 06 Dec 97 - 05:58 PM

Oh well. It's a folk form..

F U N E X? S I F X. F U N E M? I F M N X! O K

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From:
Date: 06 Dec 97 - 07:15 PM

ABCDQTTTTTTTT OMNOQTTTTTTTTT OSAR &1 more line which I will not type

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Helen
Date: 06 Dec 97 - 08:16 PM

Another old one is F U C Kay (woman's name) tell her I want to see her.

I was at a folk festival once and on the last day when everyone was packing up to leave a friend of mine was looking for her travelling companion, called Kay, because she needed to get the car keys from her so that she could load her own stuff in the car.

As a consequence my friend Gail was walking around saying to anyone she knew

F U C Kay, tell her I want to see her.

Helen

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Earl
Date: 08 Dec 97 - 01:08 AM

Memphis Slim recorded a song called "If You See Kay."

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From:
Date: 08 Dec 97 - 01:45 AM

Thanks Nonie, that helps a lot

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From:
Date: 08 Dec 97 - 07:09 PM

Thanks Jerry, that helps alot

Subject: RE: it's English and its a song, but ...
From: Wolfgang Hell
Date: 10 Dec 97 - 04:23 AM

...it's not an English song

before Jerry started explaining I thought I was the only one struggling with little to half success. Here's my revenge (source: J. Hulme, De translatione. Nursery-rhymes):

He sh! vice knit vas solace be toy ten
doss eke so trow reek bin.
Iron mere shun house Al ten sigh ten
doss Comte mere knit house den sin.

Now the French translation to make it easier for Charles (source: J. Hulme, De inventione cantus volx.):

Y Kwai ce niche vas sol espère d'oeil Taine,
d'Assy seau drap ou riche bine;
ail ne maire jeune aux alternes sailli Taine,
d'as comte mire niche hausse d'aime signe.

(so far, Taine d'Assy has not been mentioned yet in French literature and it is unknown what he had to do with a river only to become known after WWII).

For the few of you who have not a profound knowledge of German and German folksongs click for the solution or consult Rise up Singing p. 30.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Dec 97 - 04:00 PM

Touchè, Wolfgang!
-Joe-

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: GUEST,Naeuio
Date: 21 Jan 07 - 03:11 PM

Revive t- horizon!!!

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Alec
Date: 21 Jan 07 - 03:37 PM

O L A Q I C I 8 2 Q B4 I P

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 21 Jan 07 - 06:11 PM

I learned it this way:

ABCD puppies?
LMNO puppies
OSMR!
CMPN?

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: bubblyrat
Date: 21 Jan 07 - 07:00 PM

CAESAR ET SUM APPLES
CAESAR ET SUM JAM
CAESAR SIC IN OMNIBUS
CAESAR SIC INTRAM.

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 21 Jan 07 - 07:12 PM

Oh, that reminds me of a bench inscription I saw when I was a student.

Ore stabit fortis arare placet ore stat

Kitty

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Oct 10 - 06:47 PM

Ore stabit fortis arare placet ore stat

Subject: RE: it's not French, and it's not a song
From: oldhippie
Date: 03 Oct 10 - 07:38 PM

I learned it as:

O sibili si ergo
fortibus sesin ero
Nobili demis trux
Si wats enim cowsen dux