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A FURTHER THOUGHT ABOUT THE LANGUAGE OF THE ANGLO-SAXONS
You may recall from a reading of Ezra’s Essays that my eighth grade teacher was a buxom woman named Miss Maxwell. She was the one who wore high-buttoned shoes and liked to read English poetry to us, much to the chagrin of all the boys of the class. Miss Maxwell was very intent on teaching…
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UPON BEING SELF-HOODWINKED
This essay pivots on the origin of a popular folk song written in 1835 called “Kathleen Mavourneen.” Like many Irish people and the world at large, I had long assumed that “Kathleen Mavourneen” was the epitome of Irish folk music. The word “mavourneen” is an ancient Gaelic word for “my darling.” The name Kathleen is…
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WARM WEATHER
During my enlistment in the United States Army, it was my fortune to wind up spending an inordinate time with the forces of the British Empire. I did not care much for the big shots such as Jumbo Wilson, he being of the rank of general or admiral. On the other hand, I tended to…
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A RIBALD HYMN
As most of you probably know by this time, my enlistment with the American Army resulted in my spending a great deal of time with the British. Specifically, it was to fly combat support for the valiant efforts of the British Eighth Army. From time to time, the troopers from the British Eighth Army sang…
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HOW DUMB, DUMB, DUMB CAN A MAN BE?
Sunday mornings around this household are a leisurely affair. They consist primarily of my having my weekly cup of decaffeinated coffee but mostly of listening to the talk shows which dominate Sunday morning television. Obviously I cannot see the images on the screen but I follow the dialogue with considerable interest. Last Sunday, which was…