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BS: The Naming of Cats
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Wincing Devil Date: 10 Apr 02 - 09:34 AM I have always thought it was presumtious of people to give their cat a name. The cat will tell you his name in due time. Case in point, my late friend Rascal, the most aptly named animal in history. He has crossed the rainbow bridge and is pestering my father to no end. As to my current herd (Pictures here): Prophecy's Splocthington Sonar Underfoot, AKA Splotch AKA Splootchee AKA Poochee (Yes, a cat named Poochee!) I've considered myself a cat person all my life, but I have never had such loving cats before. They are cuddle bugs, not just because of their lack of fur. Minnie will crawl out of a warm pile of towels to come and sit in my lap. I'm a sad case and I need help, but at least I realize it! WD |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Hecate Date: 10 Apr 02 - 08:27 AM Could be a shaggy cat story, but I heard of a chap who called his cat "Chairman" and had a collection of photos of said "Chairman Miaow" in a litte red book ..... which is all rather disturbing in its own way. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: GUEST Date: 10 Apr 02 - 05:40 AM Popcorn - all black - old age Prince Motorboat - purring machine - dog mauling Marshmellow - all white - old age Panda - Siamese - automobile Curiosity - all white - distemper Serendipity King of the Moon Toads - grey - dog mauling
He and She - black & white, white and black - |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: nosluap57 Date: 09 Apr 02 - 01:47 PM We have four beasts: 1. Domino - The first evening after she was brought home, as a kitten, we were sitting around trying to decide on a name for her. When the delivery man rang the doorbell with the pizza we ordered, we instantly knew... 2. Cunningham - I had won a modest sum of money playing fanatsy football. One day at lunch, with absolutely no forethought, I went to a pet store. Toby, as he was then called, looked so sad and lonely in his cage I had to rescue him and take hime home. Immediately he was renamed Cunningham, in honor of the football player who's MVP seasson allowed me to win the money I used for the adoption fee. 3. Chloe - Cunningham turned out to be such a cool cat we decided another was a good idea. No name changes were in the offing for this torty calico - just could not come up with anything moew suitable. 4. Riccio - Named after the (in)famous Italian adviser to Mary Queen of Scotts, who was brutally murdered by the King's underlings, for being suspected, incorrectly, of having an affair with the Queen. The name seems to fit, as our Riccio is a big fan of pasta, especially lemon-pepper fetticine with alfredo... |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: mack/misophist Date: 09 Apr 02 - 01:03 AM Over the years I've lived with Friedeman Bach (Welsh, not German), Portia Anastasia, Ototosan, Chingachkook, Hector Proudfoot, Orca McQueen, and Melvin the Anti-cat, to name a few. One should always remember that cats are grander than we are...and prouder. That's why I named him Melvin. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: hobbitwoman Date: 08 Apr 02 - 09:07 PM This is one of the most amusing threads I've read in a long time. Maybe because as a human owned by a cat, I can relate to so many of the experiences. My cat Smoky doesn't actually drink out of the toilet, but he'll run from the other end of the house when he hears it flushing, just to watch the "water go down the hole" as the cartoon says! It's the same show every time, I keep telling him, but he doesn't care. Why did I name him Smoky? Well, I named him before I'd ever met him - he was given to me by a cousin, who told me he was gray, and that seemed like a good name for a gray cat. Since then he's been called a variety of things, not the least of which is Devil Cat... there's something to be said for meeting a cat before you name it... if I had he might've been called Lucifer but that probably would've gotten shortened to Lucy, and I doubt he'd like that much. Right now he thinks he's the Easter Bunny. He's stealing my plaster Easter Eggs and hiding them. I tried to explain he was a bit late for that, but he didn't care about that either. Today I caught him hopping. Maybe I'll change his name to Peter Cottontail or something creative like that. Or I could just call him what my son does - Stirfry. Annie |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Coyote Breath Date: 08 Apr 02 - 01:46 AM Here's the last of me tonight (sound of cheering) I received a cat as a gift from a young boy in my neighborhood. He said he found it at his aunts house. It appeared to be dark grey. It had fleas in such numbers as to change its color. It was deflea'd, bathed and then named: El Gato De Las Pulgas, Pulgas for short. We also had William of Orange and Lady Jane Grey and a hairball we called Chevaux. My ex turned out to be terribly alergic to the darlings. They were housed with friends and missed. I can't honestly say I LOVE cats, but I like them as much as they like me. The Cook has two. Mary, a VERY independent tabby, and her black and scary looking son, Puss (also known as Slash, for his behavior before being neutered). Puss is now a gentle giant weighing in at 22 pounds (and he is NOT fat, he would like you to know!) he is bigger than the Bichon, Honey, so it is a good thing for her that he has found his center and mellowed out. CB |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: GUEST,Ely Date: 07 Apr 02 - 07:36 PM My dear old calico's name was Razz, for no good reason (my brother was four when he named her, after my mother wouldn't let him call her "Chewbacca"). My longhaired orange-and-white was Battlecat (from "He-Man"--I was six when I got him). My uncle had Zogo, which supposedly means "dog" in Thai. I work for a veterinarian and we have a couple of fat orange tabbies in residence named Willie [Nelson] and Waylon [Jennings]. My grandmother had Abigail (an Abyssinian, of course) and Dunbar (as in Paul Lawrence). I've also known Squirrel Boy (long, fluffy tail), Cry Baby (very vocal), Ringo (tabby with black stripes), and several dozen black-and-whites named either Oreo or Tux. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: GUEST,Ely Date: 07 Apr 02 - 07:35 PM My dear old calico's name was Razz, for no good reason (my brother was four when he named her, after my mother wouldn't let him call her "Chewbacca"). My longhaired orange-and-white was Battlecat (from "He-Man"--I was six when I got him). My uncle had Zogo, which supposedly means "dog" in Thai. I work for a veterinarian and we have a couple of fat orange tabbies in residence named Willie [Nelson] and Waylon [Jennings]. My grandmother had Abigail (an Abyssinian, of course). I've also known Squirrel Boy (long, fluffy tail), Cry Baby (very vocal), Ringo (tabby with black stripes), and several dozen black-and-whites named either Oreo or Tux. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Catherine Jayne Date: 07 Apr 02 - 06:51 AM I put a looblue in and gandalf being mainly white ended up with a Blue face........much to our amusement!!! The other cats are sensible and drink out of their water bowls gandalf is just plain stupid!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Liz the Squeak Date: 07 Apr 02 - 03:49 AM Adding bleach stuff doesn't work... Ceramin (late lamented 'cat fart' thread generator) prefered the water just after a new 'LooBloo' haad been added. When it had been there a while, he wasn't interested, but if he heard the rustle of the celophane wrapper, he'd be there like a shot. Not caught any of mine doing that recently, but they all like a drink out of the pond occasionally. Must get that piranha I was thinking of.... Morty, does she still play fetch? LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Morticia Date: 06 Apr 02 - 05:46 PM I'm afraid I don't have a definitive answer for that, Cat...mine stopped when I started using a bleach additive in the cistern.....yours may not be that bright or you might not be willing to take the risk....I figured it was that or the poor stupid crature would drown! |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Catherine Jayne Date: 06 Apr 02 - 11:59 AM Mortie.....when exactly do they grow out of the drinking out of the toilet stage because I keep finding gandalf stuck head first down te toilet bowl???!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Morticia Date: 06 Apr 02 - 11:49 AM For those curious about her Highness,she is,as you would expect, bigger.She has got over the knocking everything to the floor stage and , thank god, the drinking out of the lavatory bowl stage.She still has issues with trying to stand on bubble bath foam and still appears surprised when it lands her in two feet of hot, soapy water.She is still adorned with patches of toothpaste where she has danced in and out of the cold tap whilst I attempt to brush my teeth and the consignment of sense that I ordered for her 6 month birthday has not yet arrived.She has just about mastered climbing the apple tree although I've noticed she seems deeply puzzled once up there and obviously, much like me, is wondering what she went up there for.Eventually the answer comes to her....it's clearly so that she can drop comme au stone on my other cat basking beneath.Puddy has much to put up with but appears resigned to her fate.....much like the rest of us. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: DMcG Date: 06 Apr 02 - 09:11 AM One of our cats years ago was called Trotsky. Would standing at the back door yelling "Trotsky!" be accepted anywhere these days? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Midchuck Date: 06 Apr 02 - 09:04 AM I was calling the cats for breakfast and yelled, "Where's my Willie?" Kris reminded me not to do that in the UK. Peter. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Liz the Squeak Date: 06 Apr 02 - 08:25 AM Ever noticed how a sleeping cat will weigh 6 times more than the same cat awake? I reckon it's gravity, pulling them harder, they seem to defy it all the waking day... (which for the average cat is any 6 hours in 24.... not always consecutively). My two new(ish) ones were already named, but Amber is just right for her - she's a tortoiseshell (calico cat) and has golden eyes.... and is very demanding on the stroking front..... He on the other hand, is Max... we think he should have been Adolf or Charlie Chaplin as he has the same ridiculous little black stripe just under his nose..... He has, however, been expanded (much like his stomach) to become Maximus Gluteous. Or Maxipus. I really want a cat called Edie. LTS
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: JeZeBeL Date: 06 Apr 02 - 07:53 AM Peanut is my kittie.....and she does like to take over the bed somewhat!! I'll get into bed at night and then there'll be this thing crawling over my back...then she'll climb down and nudge my arm as if to say"let me in" and she gets under the quilt...this is perfectly acceptable till I end up sleeping on the floor!! if u try to get back into bed then it's really difficult to work yourself around the sleeping kitty....for such a small cat she don't half take up a hell of a lot of the bed!! JeZ xxx |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Tam the bam fraeSaltcoatsScotland Date: 06 Apr 02 - 05:18 AM 53 a person after my own heart. I think a cat's name should be 'wee shite' or 'effen cat' |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Catherine Jayne Date: 06 Apr 02 - 05:11 AM Between myself and Jez we have managed to collect 3 cats, all lovely in their own way. First to arrive was Merlyn who I brought back from scarborough when my relationship broke up with my fiance. We know her as merlyn but the other cats know her as the Queen of F*&$£*&g sheeba (probably not correct spelling) Then arrived Gandalf. Huge and long haired and as thick as 2 short planks. He how ever thinks he is the perfect gift to all other female cats. And last but not least came crunchy peanut butter. Originally 'peanut' we had to rename her when we trod on her!!! She is known to the other cats as I WILL SLEEP HERE!!! cat |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: GUEST Date: 06 Apr 02 - 12:56 AM Dead Horse - wasn't that from "Old Possum's Book of Practicle Cats" by T.S. Elliot? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: MMario Date: 30 Nov 01 - 09:34 AM applause |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Morticia Date: 30 Nov 01 - 08:42 AM Where Cats came from From a lost chapter in the Book of Genesis: Adam was walking in the garden and cried out to God, "You used to walk with me every day. Now I do not see you anymore. I am lonely here, and it is difficult for me to remember how much you love me." And God said, "I will create a companion for you that will be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourself." And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam. And it was a good animal. And God was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and he wagged his tail. And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal." And God said, "Because I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG." And Dog lived with Adam and was a companion to him and loved him. And Adam was comforted. And God was pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail. After a while, it came to pass that Adam's guardian angel came to the Lord and said, "Lord, Adam has become filled with pride. He struts and preens like a peacock and he believes he is worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught him that he is loved, but perhaps too well." And the Lord said, "I will create for him a companion who will be with him forever and who will see him as he is. The companion will remind him of his limitations, so he will know that he is not always worthy of adoration." And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam. And Cat would not obey Adam. And when Adam gazed into Cat's eyes, he was reminded that he was not the Supreme Being. And Adam learned humility. And God was pleased. And Adam was greatly improved. And Dog was happy. And Cat didn't give a shit one way or the other.
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Matthew Edwards Date: 29 Nov 01 - 10:17 AM It is a while since anything has been posted here, although of course none of us were able to find this site last week while Max was away hunting. I should like to acknowledge my debt to Miles Kington, who previously chronicled some accounts from the history of the Dublin Underground Railway. These can be found in the 1978 issues of Richard Boston's sadly defunct ecological magazine Vole. However Kington's reseaches were incomplete, and it has recently become possible to unearth more about the origins of the Railway. Thread Digression Part III: Some Underground History The initial diggings for the Railway were made in the 1870's, as part of a grandiose plan to raise Dublin's status as a city of the British Empire. Works were abandoned however, in the 1880's, during one of the Stock Exchange's periodic Panics - and, it is said, in reaction to the Phoenix Park atrocity. The project was raised and dropped several times during the Home Rule debates, but was finally abandoned altogether on the fall of Parnell. It was only in 1911, under Asquith's Liberal Government, and with the support of Redmond's Irish Party, that serious working was resumed. The Railway was almost complete in August 1914 when the outbreak of war forced the postponement of the opening ceremonies. However the existence of an unused railway line running below the streets of Dublin was well known to some of the leaders of the Easter Rising. In particular, some of the volunteers in Connolly's Irish Citizens Army had been recruited to work on the Railway, and knew its layout well. It is certain that some plans did exist to make use of the Railway during the Rising, and Roger Casement appears to have been involved in a plan to smuggle a train on to the line. There is an obscure reference in the Black Diaries of Roger Casement to a dream of "a train penetrating a dark tunnel in Dublin", which scholars have generally dismissed as a standard homoerotic image, and probably a forgery at that. However there is a fragment of a ballad, to the tune of "Spanish Lady", which suggests that there may be some basis to the story:- "As I rode to Dublin City, At twelve o'clock on Easter night, Who should I meet but Roger Casement, Driving a train to join the fight." What is definite is that the British Government did not stand by its promise to open the Railway after the War. Instead, during the War of Independence from 1919-1921, the Railway was extensively used by Michael Collins and his Squad. In the meantime Ned Broy in Dublin Castle was somehow able to conceal from his nominal employers all the records relating to the Railway, and substituted some inaccurate plans in their place. The confusion of the times is captured in a story told by one of Collins' Volunteers many years later. Frank O'Connor came across the tale while writing his biography of Collins "The Big Fellow". As he was unable to corroborate the story he decided not to use it in his book, but he used to recount it in private with great flair. One night a team of detectives from Dublin Castle believed that they had found a secret entrance to the Railway, and they descended through a manhole in Sackville Street. Unfortunately for them this actually led to the main Dublin sewer, which Collins, who was aware of their activities, was able to control. At a given signal he ensured a mass release of the chamber pots and lavatories of Dublin, so that the detectives were swept away in a flood of the most noxious effluvia. They emerged in the Liffey, amid a stinking tidal wave. As they climbed up a ladder to the quayside, a passer-by, who could smell them long before they were visible, called out: "Youse boys must surely love your food to swim in it after you've eaten it and shat it out!" The detective team crept back to the Castle to be hosed down. They were forever after known, behind their backs, as "The Brown and Tans." |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Matthew Edwards Date: 20 Nov 01 - 04:09 PM Returning from exile, I see no reason why other animals should not be included here (but I draw the line at sheep). Rambling Sam Dedicated to John from Hull Rambling Sam was the meanest old hamster, To work on the trawlers of Hull. He battled with codfish and herring, And he once won a fight with a gull. One day as he rambled through Hessle, All the pubs shut their doors in alarm; And mothers called out to their children To come home before Sammy did harm. Hessle Road was as empty as Skegness On a cold, frosty, February night. Sammy strolled on down the pavement, When something came into his sight. A great ball of fur stood and faced him, And made him stop dead in his track. It was Geordie MacDirble the Gerbil, Who'd sailed down in his old fishing smack. The two stood and glared at each other; Sammy hissed, and then started to spit, Geordie showed Sammy his canines, Then they scratched, and they kicked, and they bit. They fought all along the quays and the docks, With blood spattered all over the quarter, Till they came to the edge of the river, and then- Plop! they both of them fell in the water. There was cheering in Hessle, and havoc in Hull, When the news of Sam's drowning was spread. In Grimsby, and Whitby, and even in Staithes, They flew flags when they heard he was dead. But some nights when there's mist on the Humber, By the docks you may hear a deep growl. Rambling Sam may have met with his number, But his ghost still goes there on the prowl. Back to the Dublin Underground another day perhaps. Did you know that the Railway once employed an engineer called Frank Dunlop? He designed a plan for a new set of lines which he named the Inner and Outer Tube. Sadly his plans were rejected by the Board, and he went to take his ideas elsewhere. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Matthew Edwards Date: 16 Nov 01 - 05:44 PM (Posted from internet cafe) That was a beautiful quotation LEJ: Kit Smart knew whereof he wrote!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Lonesome EJ Date: 15 Nov 01 - 01:09 PM Christopher Smart, "on his cat Jeoffrey" from Jubilate Agno (1762), lns. 695-742 For I will consider my Cat Jeoffrey For he is the servant of the Living God duly and daily serving him. For at the first glance of the glory of God in the East he worships in his way. For is this done by wreathing his body seven times round with elegant quickness. For then he leaps up to catch the musk, which is the blessing of God upon his prayer. For he rolls upon prank to work it in. For having done duty and received blessing he begins to consider himself. For this he performs in ten degrees . . . For having consider'd God and himself he will consider his neighbor. For if he meets another cat he will kiss her in kindness. For when he takes his prey he plays with it to give it chance. For one mouse in seven escapes by his dallying . . . For the English cats are the best in Europe. For he is the cleanest in the use of his fore-paws of any quadrupede. For the dexterity of his defense is an instance of the love of God to him exceedingly. For he is the quickest to his mark of any creature. For he is tenacious of his point. For he is a mixture of gravity and waggery. For he knows that God is his Saviour. For there is nothing sweeter than his peace when at rest. For there is nothing brisker than his life when in motion. For he is the Lord's poor and so indeed is he called by benevolence perpetually -- Poor Jeoffrey! poor Jeoffrey! the rat has bit thy throat. For I bless the name of the Lord Jesus that Jeoffrey is better. For the divine spirit comes about his body to sustain it in compleat cat.
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: lamarca Date: 15 Nov 01 - 11:11 AM My late, lamented cat Koshchei was, as Kliban so aptly put it, "one hell of a nice animal, frequently mistaken for a meatloaf". He loved people and would happily trot up and jump onto your lap (a serious matter - he was 16 lbs. of mostly muscle) when called or whistled for and accept the attentions that he so richly deserved. My housemates, not being Russian speakers, didn't even try to pronounce "Koshchei", or even my diminuitive, "Koshka" (Russian for cat); they just called him "Butch", to which he just as happily responded. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: MMario Date: 15 Nov 01 - 11:08 AM someone has been hanging around Skivee too much. *grin* |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Celtic Soul Date: 15 Nov 01 - 10:54 AM GAH! Well, I would never know, of course, Mr. Edwards... It seems all I do for the pussy is clean up after it. And of course, there are enjoyable moments of stroking it until it purrs. But really, that is the extent of my knowledge. ;D |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Matthew Edwards Date: 15 Nov 01 - 03:38 AM As I haven't yet started my brief "exile" can I just thank the friendly mudelf who has improved the layout in my previous post; buíochas! Glad you enjoyed it Celtic Soul, but one word of advice; you do have to take care on this thread - talk about the sound a pussy comes to may be misunderstood! |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Celtic Soul Date: 14 Nov 01 - 11:06 PM LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, that was one hell of an amusing ride! However, *everyone* knows cats can only have 2 names. The one they come to; "HEEEEEERE kiddykiddykiddy!" And the one you call them when they've pissed on the carpet. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Matthew Edwards Date: 14 Nov 01 - 08:35 PM Some of the tales from this thread have been added to Áine's Mudcat Storytellers' Page where a number of excellent Mudcatter stories may also be found. I understand that it is a tradition for any serious Mudcatter to announce that he/she is fed up with all the BS, flaming, and trolling etc. and is leaving Mudcat. Since I have been posting to the Forum for 6 months now, I would like to declare that I am quitting the Mudcat because I too am fed up with all this nonsense about pork chops and the Royal Family and so on. However, as is also customary, my absence will only be temporary; in my case while I attend to 3D matters, and normal service will resume sometime next week. Thread Digression, Part Two: Magaret Barry and a Bicycle [Some musical content] One evening on the Dublin Underground Railway Margaret Barry boarded the train at Tone Station with her banjo, and began busking in the writer's and artist's carriage. She sang her version of Galway Bay: "She could drink her sixty pints of Irish Guinness And stagger from the pub and never sway. If the sea was beer instead of salty water, She would live and swim and die in Galway Bay." Then she accompanied the two Behan boys, Brendan and Dominic, while they sang The Twang Man. This was followed by an earnest discussion of the meaning of "billy-in-the-bowl", which only ended when two Gardaí entered the carriage, pushing three bicycles in front of them. "Oi, where's the third policeman then?" called out little Dominic, and back at the bar a very intoxicated Flann O'Brien fumbled for his ticket to jot down a new idea. One of the Gardaí spoke to Margaret Barry, and was pointing out to her that the Regulations of the Railway specifically prohibited the public performance of music and other conduct noxious to the national decency. He was interrupted by Seamus Ennis who had been sitting in a corner of the carriage with a notebook in his hand, while his other hand explored the charms of a young maiden from Bantry who had asked him about traditional customs. "Its all right, officer," said Seamus, "I'm collecting material here for the Irish Folklore Commission, and Miss Barry and the boys here are giving me some songs for the national treasury." The Garda muttered something to the effect that he was damned if the Twang Man was any sort of national treasure, but sensing that the mood of the crowd was against him, he decided to withdraw. Margaret struck up again with The Blarney Stone: "It was on the road to Bandon One morning in July..." when, piiiing!, suddenly one of her banjo strings snapped. Nobody had any spare wire, and it seemed that the performance was over. However little Dominic ran across to the spare bicycle, and with his penknife cut off a length of brake cable, which he handed to Margaret. She fitted it neatly to her instrument, tuned it, and then charmed the whole of the carriage, including the Gardaí, by singing A Bicycle Made For Two. line breaks added by mudelf ;-)
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Matthew Edwards Date: 13 Nov 01 - 01:31 PM Glad to hear more news of Loki, Morticia. Have you thought of following Tony Blair's example and revoking Clause iv (=Claws 4! Sorry). Anyway I couldn't think of a new cat story for today, but looking back I see that I commented on the pernicious effects of the Irish Censorship Board on Irish culture, and there is a story which illustrates this very well. Thread Digression: The Banning of Brendan Behan One night during the Emergency years there was, as usual, a lively argument going on in the special writer's and artist's carriage of the Dublin Underground Railway. The writers were complaining about the activities of the Censorship Board, and how it was becoming impossible to earn a living from literature. James Joyce, who had popped over by submarine from Trieste to check the house numbers on the Vico Road for his new novel, was bemoaning the fact that the only thing the warring nations agreed on was the banning of Ulysses. The now statelier and plumper figure of Gogarty pointed out that the only way he could escape being placed on the Index was to write all the dirty bits in Attic Greek. At the bar, Flann O'Brien was getting extremely drunk, again, thanks to the barman allowing him three drinks for the price of one in consideration of his Triune identity. He was trying to jot down a note on the back of his ticket for a pun on Greeks in the attic to use in his novel. Sean O'Faolain complained about the stagnant state of Irish culture, and illustrated his remarks by pointing to the pools of Guinness spreading across the floor: "That's Irish writing today for you; a stain on the floor of a railway carriage." Young Brendan Behan cheered and shouted, "Up the IRA!" All the others glared at him, and wondered who had let him in as he hadn't written anything yet. However a minor Joyce brother murmured that he was so-and-so's nephew, and anyway he could sing a bit. After a while a general agreement began to emerge that being banned by the Board conferred an élite status on those writers. Consequently Gogarty was elected spokesman to approach the Managing Director of the Railway, Mr L.H.Corner, with a view to securing a private compartment, with a bar, restricted for the use of banned writers. At this, Brendan Behan, who didn't want to be left out of anything, leaped out of the carriage at Emmet Station and scribbled a rude song on the walls (in both Gaelic and English as prescribed by Regulation 42 Ch.11 sect.xlvii of the Railway), and signed his name below. He was duly banned by the Censorship Board the following day, and thus he became the first author to be prohibited without having anything of his published. Of course musicians were also allowed on the Dublin Underground, or the Four-Cornered Railway as it was popularly known afer the four brothers Corner who constituted the Board of Directors. Indeed there was one memorable night involving Margaret Barry and a bicycle...but thats a story for another day. line breaks fixed by mudelf ;-)
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Morticia Date: 13 Nov 01 - 09:25 AM Strange as it may seem, Charley, I think I can understand Judy's reluctance.Going out smelling like someone's dinner isn't up there on my top ten of favourite things to do either....but I may be driven to it yet and if I am, I'll let you know. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Charley Noble Date: 13 Nov 01 - 08:51 AM Morticia - Our Tilahun shares similar traits with your Loki. I've suggested to my wife Judy, whom Tilahun bonded with at the early age of "YOWSAHHHH" that she sprinkle her neck with paprika, berbare, or some other spicy essence. You might try that and share the results, since Judy refuses to comply...;-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Morticia Date: 12 Nov 01 - 09:13 AM Well, for all my agonising regarding the naming of Loki, it turns out her real name was OOOOWWW, gerroff yer bugger, you've just drawn blood again!. It seems I had only to wait and her name would become obvious. I look like one of those poor unfortunates that self-harms with razor blades and due to a particularly fetching bite mark on my neck, it seems we now own a vampire kitten...anyone knowing where I can obtain garlic kitty-bics will earn my undying ( and I may mean that literally) gratitude. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Matthew Edwards Date: 12 Nov 01 - 04:37 AM Another Tale; (not about cats) The Tailor on Owen Roe O'Sullivan The Tailor and his wife Ansty had the greatest respect for the procreative talents of men and women and, barring priests (who had professional exemption in those days before the Bishop of Galway!), measured the prowess of people by their fertility. Ansty would always ask guests how many children they had, and was astounded one day when a young married woman asked if the animal in the field was a bull or a cow. She mused over this all day "That was a queer kind of marriage. What was she married to? They must have had the strange carry on. Didn't know the difference between a bull and a cow, and married!" Anyway one day there was talk of the Kerry poets, and the Tailor drew attention to some of the lesser-known talents of Owen Roe O'Sullivan: "One of those and the greatest of them, was Owen Roe, Owen Roe O'Sullivan. The rest of them, O'Donoghue, Ferriter, and O'Rahilly, were only walking after him. He was one of the greatest poets that ever was. Its no use for anyone to be talking. They were all poets in those days, every bloody man. "But that was not all about Owen Roe. He was an auctioneer as well, and he was middling good as a doctor as well. He was good enough at every trade. He spent a part of his time in the Navy, and was at the battle of Waterloo. But do you know what was his best trade after poetry? It was making small lads. "He was one of the most frolicsome men that ever was. It was said of him that if he threw a copper over a fence it would, like as not, fall on the head of one of his own. He must have been as good as King Solomon almost. "One day a young gossoon met him on the road, and Owen spoke to him for a while, and then he gave him a penny, telling him that the next time he saw him he would give him a shilling. Well, by the mockstick of war, what did the young lad do? He hopped over the fence and ran over a couple of fields and was there on the road before Owen Roe again. "'You said that you would give me a shilling the next time you saw me,' said he. "'True for you,' answered Owen. 'Here is the shilling, and another for your intelligence. You must be one of my own.' From The Tailor and Ansty by Eric Cross The image of Owen Roe as a naval officer at the Battle of Waterloo is brilliant, and it is wonderful to think of him walking the Kerry countryside, scattering poems and children with equal liberality. However, I think that by now we are reaching the limits of the tolerance allowed by the copyright laws, and anyone wishing for more of the Tailor's stories will have to go out and buy the book. He was one of the masters of the art of storytelling in Ireland. In the meantime, welcome to JennieG and her cats; Binky, Prickle, and Belle. Also thanks to Charley Noble for the tale of Grendal - the cat who got the cream! |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Charley Noble Date: 10 Nov 01 - 05:01 PM Well, here's another story about a family cat: Grendal and the Cream Separator Father never liked cats, nor was he especially fond of Grendal, our newest little gray kitten who was always getting into everything, usually something disgusting, and then would try to climb into Father's lap. As I remember it, we were all having breakfast in the farm kitchen, and Father was pouring milk into the big milk separator in the corner of the room. Milk separators are machines designed to magically transform milk into cream and skim milk by centrifugal force, sort of like a particle accelerator. Ours was a modern one run by electricity. Anyway, Father flipped on the switch and sat down for breakfast, when one of us noticed Grendal disappearing under the machine. Mother immediately got down on all fours and tried to grab her tail; but she, the kitten, was already climbing out of reach, amidst the grinding gears. Mother was about to pull the plug to stop the machine, but was stopped by Father who was justifiably concerned about ruining a morning's work for some rude little animal, and besides he hadn't heard a single screech. So we all continued eating our breakfast, with an occasional glance at the machine, whirling out its cream and skim milk. Father was whistling a cheerful tune, which I think was "Dunderbeck's Machine." When the machine had completed its cycle, Father got out his screwdriver, removed the side cover plate and there was Grendal siting in the drip pan, somewhat greasy but none the worse for wear, still staring at the maze of gears. From that day on, she was inseparable from her favorite hangout whenever Father was processing the milk. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: JennieG Date: 09 Nov 01 - 08:15 PM Our girls don't bring prey inside as we don't have a cat flap (they have 4 humans to open doors, why do they need a cat flap?) but occasionally we find exploded birds on the back step...little piles of feathers, a leg, a bit of wing...for all the world as though the poor bird self-destructed! Our girls are Prickle, so named because as a kitten on the way home from the animal shelter 14 years ago she had very prickly little paws; Belle who is a beautiful big ginger girl; and Binky, a dark tortie. Binky was named after Death's horse in the Terry Pratchett books. Cheers JennieG |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: lamarca Date: 09 Nov 01 - 06:23 PM Matthew, I have seen parts of Maus, but haven't actually read the whole thing. I like Spiegelman's work, though - he occasionally has pieces in The New Yorker. As far as cats' association with humans, I'll go back and check Sue Hubbell's book - she gave a couple references to research trying to establish the length of time cats have deigned to live with us. One thing I do remember from that chapter is that in the late 1800's archaeologists were digging up so many cat mummies in Egypt that they were being used as ballast in ships returning to England, where they were sold to be ground up as fertilizer. Fortunately, enough have been preserved that they have been used in studies comparing anatomy and DNA changes between ancient and modern cats. Wild cats (not feral kitties, but Felis sylvestris) have brains that are 20-30% larger than domestic cats, mostly in the sensory regions as befits a predator that has to hunt its dinner instead of waiting for a human to open a tin. Siamese cats have brains 5-10% smaller than the average domestic cat, something I've always suspected from the sometimes gormless behavior of mine... |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Charley Noble Date: 09 Nov 01 - 04:12 PM Thanks, Mathew. That will do for a start! |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Matthew Edwards Date: 09 Nov 01 - 04:34 AM Paul, thank you for introducing Spike and Slick to us; they are welcome aboard the Mudcat. Charley Noble wondered how far back the association between cats and humans extended, and I am sure some learned 'Catter will be able to provide a link to a website which explores the history of this relationship. There is a story that The Great Moggie In The Sky spent five days creating the world, and then curled up to sleep in a little box behind the central heating boiler. After a while She woke up and prowled around the house, miaowing loudly until She realised that there was nobody there to feed Her. On the sixth day therefore She created humans to open tins for Her, and to serve Her every whim; to open doors to let her out, and then immediately have to open them again to let Her back in. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Paul from Hull Date: 08 Nov 01 - 02:21 PM I've just realised that I've been reading this thread with great enjoyment for a Fortnight now, & posted to it more than once (& I know that some Americans arent aware of the term 'Fortnight' - meaning 2 weeks - presumably a contraction of 'Fourteen Nights) .....& I havent yet told you about my 2 menaces. Spike is around 7 years old, but seems older & wiser than that (& always has) He's black everywhere, though when the light is behind him, it can be seen that his fur is actually a very pleasing shade of Dark Brown. He's a fairly affectionate fella when the mood takes him, but can be fairly aloof for the most part, though he LOVES to stand or lie on peoples shoulders...wrapped around their necks like a black fur 'scarf'. He TRIES to talk to me...though in fairly brief sentences, & cant see why cant understand him as well as he seems to evidently understand me. Slick, on the other hand is just thick... He's black & white, & about 2 1/2 (he & Spike arent related, btw). All that he takes the slightest interest in is food... or should I say, anything that he THINKS might just possibly be edible.... He's a bit rougher in 'play' than Spike ever was, & is also as clumsy as Hell, so I'm never short of a fair few scratches because of him. He's not without his own charm, however, cos he often makes a sound more like a 'chirrup' than a miaow, & I've never known a cat purr so much when it suits him, & he's warm & comfy....the lad positively 'buzzes' - like he's got a little electric motor in him..... |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Matthew Edwards Date: 08 Nov 01 - 02:02 PM lamarca what a wonderful site that is, and please greet Valeria Victrix for me. One of the illustrations on the site you linked to looks very like a cartoon drawing by Art Spiegelman. Have you come across his graphic novels Maus and Maus II about the Holocaust in which Jewish people are drawn as mice, victims of Nazi cats? It is extremely powerful, and moving, and very effective as a retelling of that terrible time. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: lamarca Date: 08 Nov 01 - 01:49 PM I have a 20-year-old Siamese kitty whose round-the-house name is Val, but whose full name is Valeria Victrix; her brother, alas, didn't live up to his name of Koshchei Byezsmyertnui (Koshchei the Deathless...). Val is my old lady - still spunky, verbose and demanding, but incredibly attached to her humans. I have just finished reading a wonderful book by one of my favorite nature writers, Sue Hubbell, called "Shrinking the Cat: Genetic Engineering Before We Knew About Genes". In it Hubbell discusses the human penchant for engineering species of animals and plants for our own use long before "GMO" became a dirty word - we have created corn, silkmoths, apples and cats for our own pleasure and use. Modern cats were evolved from Felis sylvestris libyica by selecting the smaller, less excitable, more affectionate and more attractive offspring over generations of inbreeding; different breeds of cats arose due to different views of what constituted "attractive". Another favorite little book is one I found in a used bookstore of Edward Lear's pictures and writings about his beloved cat, Foss. For a picture of Lear and Foss, go here; for info on the book, For lovers of cats. Edward Lear, compiled by Vivien Noakes and Charles Lewsen, London, Collins, 1978, ABEbooks has a copy here (this link won't work if the book sells...) |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Paul from Hull Date: 08 Nov 01 - 01:44 PM Thanks for that, matey! More info there than I can get my head around, so to speak, but interesting stuff! Cheers! |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Matthew Edwards Date: 08 Nov 01 - 01:22 PM O'Connor's translation comes from his book Kings,Lords, & Commons: an Anthology from the Irish of which I have a paperback copy published in 1970 by Gill and Macmillan. If it is not still in print it ought to be. There are other translations; one by Kuno Meyer appears in his Ancient Irish Poetry, and in his notes Meyer dates the poem to the 8th or 9th century. Robin Flower also made a translation, but as Frank O'Connor comments "Robin Flower's well-known translation in the metre of 'Twinkle, twinkle, little star' ignores the slowness of the original, which approximates more to iambic pentameter." The notes to the poem are my own, and somewhere I have read which Austrian monastery was the source but I can't track the reference down. Is St Gall in Austria? Meyer cites a text and translation in Thesaurus Paleohibernicus, ii, p293. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Paul from Hull Date: 08 Nov 01 - 12:48 PM Can I ask where you found that, Matthew, & the background behind it? Are those notes about it your own, or what? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The Naming of Cats From: Charley Noble Date: 08 Nov 01 - 09:16 AM Mathew - A nice tale, and one wonders how far back this journey with the cats began. |