On 27 Jan 2004 15:58:23 -0800, (Nick) wrote:

"sandirhodes" wrote in message

I saw an American movie the other day that used a phrase it claimed to be
popular in the latter 19th century in GB ("merry Andrew").
I just wondered if it is true that it was in use at that time,

According to David Richerby, the Oxford English Dictionary mentions no
20th century citations. Like him, I never have heard the term in use.
On the other hand, Mike Murray claims to know: "It's still used."

People still read "Tom Jones", don't they? or watch old Danny Kaye
movies?

Heh, heh, heh. I can see the nickbourbaki chorus, in full jester
dress, of course, doing:

The Square of the Hypotenuse (from "Merry Andrew" 1958)

Old Einstein said it, when he was getting nowhere
give him credit
He was heard to declare, "Eureka"

CHORUS:

THE SQUARE OF THE HYPOTENUSE IS A RIGHT TRIANGLE IS EQUAL TO THE SUM
OF THE SQUARES OF TWO ADJACENT SIDES
YOU'D NOT TOLERATE LETTING YOUR PARTICIPLE DANGLE
SO PLEASE EFFECT THE SAME SELF RESPECT FOR YOUR GEOMETRIC SLIDES

Sure as shootin', when problems get in your hair
Be like Newton
Who was heard to declare, "Eureka"!

CHORUS

The two Wright brothers, before they conquered the air
Like those others
Orville hollers, "Lookheah! Wilbur

CHORUS

And, maybe a folk etymology:
http://www.yeoldesussexpages.co.uk/s...ple/andrew.htm


Given that Mike Murray has initiated a personal attack on me in this thread:

"What is this nonsense of 'the emerging anti-Semitism of the Left?'...
It's easy to pretend that all our 'enemies' are united, but you really
do need to lie to yourself a lot to keep it up."
--John Macnab (writing in response to Mike Murray, 10 October 2003)

United ? Just a few overlapping themes. Ever listen to a Maoist and
a Trotskyite argue, back in the late sixties, early seventies?

For light reading:

The New Anti-Semitism : The Current Crisis and What We Must Do About
It (Phyllis Chesler)

Never Again? : The Threat of the New Anti-Semitism (Abraham Foxman)


--Nick