Date: Wed, 4 Sep 1996 19:30:44 -0900

From: Chris Coolidge ccoolidg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MOOSE.UVM.EDU

Subject: Re: pop goes the weasel



On Sat, 31 Aug 1996, M. Lynne Murphy wrote:



hi all,



i'm about to embark on my career in radio, on an south african

broadcasting corp. write-in language show, "word of mouth", in which

i will get to fight off the prescriptivist english speakers here who

are worried that other people are ruining their language (i can't

imagine anyone's going to take an american seriously on this). (maybe

it won't be a career if it goes badly!) i've just been faxed the

topics i have to research for this batch of shows, and will probably

bother you all more than once with queries if i find my reference

sources lacking, but here's one off the top.



can anyone fill in the 3rd line of the version of "pop goes the

weasel" that appears below (this is the one i learned as a kid):



all around the mulberry bush

the monkey chased the weasel

da-da da-da da dadada da

pop! goes the weasel.



also, i'd be interested to hear other versions of the song. the host

of the show has supplied this one:



half a pound of tuppenny rice

half a pound of treacle

that's the way the money goes (not enough syllables?)

pop goes the weasel



and if anyone knows what "pop goes the weasel" refers to, i'd be

happy to hear.



thanks,

lynne



Third line: The monkey thought is was all in fun



Alternative second verse

A penny for a spool of thread

A penny for a needle

That's the way the money goes, etc.

(Why on earth do I remember these things?)