A Medley of Singable Verses: ONLINE ETYMOLOGY HELP!

Post #165
SINGABLE LIMERICKS 

ORIGINAL SONG: These verses can be sung to  "The Limerick Song", as per YouTube here.
LIMERICK VERSE:  Original verses composed by Giorgio Coniglio, and compiled in January 2018. Some of the verses have been submitted to the OEDILF website (the Omnificent English Dictionary in Limerick Form).
UPDATE and WORDPLAY-LINK: These and other verses have been compiled as limerick collections about word derivation on our sister blog "Edifying Nonsense". You can view the most recent post here, and then follow the links for earlier postings on that site. 


CONTENTS:
1. Dollar
2. Horse
3. Roach
4. Miser
5. Mystery
6. Haven
7. Gizzard
8. Lagoon
9. Dog
10. Mentor
11. Suitor
12. Whelp
13. Toff

ETYMOLOGY HELP!

A LIMERICK MEDLEY

(to the tune of "The Limerick Song"; display of the lyrics has been condensed to 4 lines for each verse, with internal rhyming in line 3, rather than the more customary 5-line limerick format.) 

1. Hey! Online Etymology Scholar,
Derivation explain for the 'dollar' —
Just as 'buckskin' spawned 'buck', it's a name that has stuck —
Widespread coinage from Europe: the thaler.

2. Etymology Online Resource,
Derivation explain for the 'horse' —
No link that's found, pal, with Pferd, equus, cheval;
The old English form 'hors' ran its course.

3. Hey! Online Etymology Coach,
Derivation explain for the 'roach' —
Cucaracha that's neutered, as Victorians tutored;
For, who cockroaches' love-life would broach?

4. Etymology Online Advisor,
Derivation explain for the 'miser' —
Middle English for 'wretch' from the Latin for 'kvetch'.
Modern usage? There's no one the wiser.

5. Hey! Online Etymology Oracle,
Divulge facts about 'mystery' historical' -- 
Greece and Rome: 'secret rites'; later, 'Dark, stormy nights...'
Now this query -- It's merely rhetorical? 

6. Hey! Online Etymology Maven,
Derivation explain for the 'haven' —
Old Norse Hofn: for 'port' from which Norsemen resort
To spread 'havoc' midst folks who are craven. 

7. Hey! Online Etymology Wizard,
Derivation explain for the 'gizzard' —
Roman gourmands would howl, "More gigeria (fowl
Innards)!; hold off the garum and lizard."

8. Etymology Online Kahuna,
Derivation recall for 'lagoon' -- A  
Spanish lake or salt pool (not Hawaiian, you fool!),
I've forgotten the rest - a lacuna.

9. As confessed, "We did doggedly slog
At Online Philological Blog.
There's no getting around, your word hounded out 'hound':
Etymologists find it a dog."

10. Hey! Online Etymology Centre,
Derivation explain for the 'mentor' --
Guide described in the story of Ulysses, whose glory
Homer told as a sage (or inventor).

11. In that vein, Etymology Tutor,
Derivation explain for the 'suitor' --
Latin secutor: 'follower', one whose prospects grow hollower
When Ulysses returns to dispute her. 

12. Hey! Online Etymology Help,
Derivation explain for the 'whelp' --
'Naive boy', root for 'puppy' (Not a hippy or yuppie).
It's Old English -- the same goes for 'yelp'.

13. Hey! Online Etymology Prof,
Derivation explain for the ‘toff' -- 

(Nineteenth C.): Oxbridge chaps with gold tufts worn on caps

Titillated the townies to scoff.

UKULELE-FRIENDLY FORMAT
 (Click on any chord-chart slide to move to 'song-presentation mode'; then navigate through thumbnails at bottom of page.)

Check out  the origin of the 'DOLLAR' at Wikipedia#1, Wikipedia#2, and The Online Etymology Dictionary.

Check out the origin of the 'HORSE' at Wikipedia  and The Online Etymology Dictionary.

Check out the origin of the 'ROACH' at The Online Etymology Dictionary.

Check out the origin of the 'MISER' at  The Online Etymology Dictionary.

Check this link for 'weird foods in Ancient Rome'

Check out the mystery in the origin of the word 'DOG' at The Online Etymology Dictionary and at Wikipedia.

SINGABLE LIMERICKS: An exemplary parody, based on the famed Nantucket original verses.

WORDPLAY LINK: 

For wordplay (palindromes, anagrams, eggcorns, creative cartography, etc.) and silly poetry (polished limericks), see our sister blog "EDIFYING NONSENSE" here. 

For the Scottish Diaspora: Dean Martin Sings "ROBBIE BURNS DAY"

REPRISE: post #67 from January 2015 revisited, with new chord-charts.  Be sure to scroll down to see the powerpoint-type presentation.


PARODY-LYRICS

ORIGINAL SONG: "That's Amore", Dean Martin, 1953.

PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, January 2015.

KEYWORDS: goldenoldy, multicultural, tribute, seasonal 


Explanatory Notes: Robert Burns, born 1759, became Scotland’s ‘national poet’, and a cultural icon at home and among Scottish diaspora around the world. In his short life - he died at age 37 -  he wrote hundreds of well-loved poems and songs; the most famous is Auld Lang Syne, traditionally sung on Hogmanay. Robbie Burns Day is celebrated on his birthday, January 25, often with a Burns Night supper. 

Burns' famous poems include "To a Mouse", "To a Louse", "Tam o' Shanter", "Parcel o' Rogues", and "Address to a Haggis".

SONGLINKS: The most recent posting on this site provides further links to Robbie Burns' traditional songs. See "Auld Lang's Sine".  

Robert Burns 

ROBBIE BURNS DAY

(to the tune of "That's Amore")

INTRO (Tremolo)
In Aberdeen and overseas
Kilt-wearers freeze below the knees.....

When friends honor the haggis and flag of St Andrews - 

That's Burns Day.

First you’re piped to your place, they intone Selkirk’s Grace -

Robbie Burns Day.

Cock-a-leekie soup, cook will boast, address-by-the-host,

Offer toasts to the haggis.

The Saltire, or St Andrews cross

You think, “oops!” – dinner-wasn’t-cheap, eat tatties an neeps *,

Hope to sleep through the speeches.

Poems recite – Mouse-that-gets-a-fright, Louse-that’s-in-plain-sight,

Witches’ night – ‘Tam o’ Shanter’

Greed retold, Scotland’s future sold, England’s bribing-gold,

 ‘Parcel o’ Rogues’  - truth or slander?

With slurred speech you sound Scottish, sipped Scotch ‘til you’re sottish - 

That's Burns Day.

Yes, you’ve downed too much malt, might be mostly your fault -

You feel plough'd.

Finally guests’ vote of thanks, you chant, closing your ranks

Like Hogmanay.

Let the world praise today the auld Bard o’ Alloway -

Robbie Burns Day!





UKULELE-FRIENDLY FORMAT
(Click on any chord-chart slide to move to 'song-presentation mode'; then navigate through thumbnails at bottom of page.)

ORIGINAL SONG
(click on any slide to enlarge and arrive in thumbnail mode for singalongs on your computer or phone!)  

Uke-Song (Gershwin folk-aria): ICELANDIC SUMMERTIME SAGA

POST #164:
Singable Limerick-Medley 

ORIGINAL SONG: The melody for the spiritual ballad "Summertime" from the George Gershwin opera "Porgy and Bess".

LIMERICK VERSE:  Original verses composed by Giorgio Coniglio 2017, and compiled in January 2018. Several of the verses also appear, mildly modified, in the online limerick dictionary OEDILF.com. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Ukulele chord-charts were adapted from an excellent version at "Dr Uke".
SONGLINK: A calypso-style song about a visit to Iceland in June 2015 was composed for this website under the title "Nordic Journal: Island in the Sun".                                  

CONTENTS:
Underpinnings: "Summertime"
1. Iceland / Ísland: dry land
2. Geysir
3. Eyjafjallajökull (E15)
4. Second-Hand Geyser
5. Stopover in Reykjavik (not a limerick)

ICELANDIC SONG

Display of the lyrics has been condensed to 4 lines for each verse, with internal rhyming in line 3, rather than the more customary 5-line limerick format.) 

(to the tune of "Summertime") 

1. In the far North Atlantic there’s dry land:
Friendly Iceland – it’s my kind of island.
You’ll be welcomed in Ísland *; cool and damp but at-peace land; 
Summer-sun-all-day-but-you-won’t-fry land.

2. Tourists learn the Norse thermal god plays here;
The Icelandic locale known as ‘Geysir’.
From hot pools steam erupts - belching after he sups.
Then they head for the sign (that says),“Tour Bus Stays Here.”

3. E15, Iceland stratovolcano,
Spews out fog that can clog up your plane, Oh
If explain it I must - it’s just ashes and dust;  
Can’t they flush it away with some Drano?

4. A cheap gift: though Björn thought he’d surprise her,
Björg rejected his second-hand geyser,                                              
“What I’d prize is a freezer. Your poor wife, why displease her?
It just proves you’re a nasty old miser.”

5. If you’re planning an Iceland stopover:
Avoid months with an 'R', like October;  

Reykjavik? Here's my warning: bars stay open til morning.  

And the patrons aren't prone to stay sober.
(OR SEE THE SLIDE BELOW FOR AN ALTERNATIVE!)

* pronounced as EES-lahndt.

UKULELE-FRIENDLY FORMAT

(Click on any chord-chart slide to move to 'song-presentation mode'; then navigate through thumbnails at bottom of page.)

A7s = 0200;  A7 = 0100;  Dm7 = 2213;  Gm = 0231;  D7s = 2233;  Gm7 = 0211; 
Bb7 = 1211;  A7+5 = 0110;  Fdim7 = 1212

At this point you might wish to return to the post 'Singable Lyrics: Novel Melodies for Limericks' HERE. 

ORIGINAL SONG-LYRICS