|
|
|
|| _groggy, decent, annual, handle, bitter, thirst, eight ate at eight.Image(s) from the Internet.
The opening poem contains all the words (or variations of them) from today's Jumble.
Comments are welcomed! And couching them in Poetry is definitely NOT required.
Do not explicitly reveal any of the actual answer words until after closing time, but embedding them surreptitiously in comment sentences is encouraged.
Wow! Remember the old tv show called "Eight is Enough"? Wasn't it Dick Van Patten who starred in that?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I guess this is a combination homophonic AND homographic pun. It didn't really make me laugh, but I do appreciate the combination.
Wishing a Happy Springtime to everyone—especially to our Jumble Hint regulars!
ReplyDeleteSpring is official, as of 8:33 am PDT!
Sandy ~ It works for me too!
Of course, a Brit wouldn’t get the full impact; they mispronounce the 2nd word…
~ OMK
Interezting, OMK. After reading your comment I did some Googling, and it appears that the British Library is exploring changes in pronunciation. They find that more and more younger people are saying "ate", long A, rather than "et". Language always changes; being old allows you to notice that.
ReplyDeleteThe Engineer woke at eight, still groggy.
ReplyDeleteA cup of bitter coffee, he felt less dodgy.
Today would be the annual celebration!
Crowds of people at the train station!
It was just a short walk to the trains;
His Eight-eighty-eight, and Snyder's Nelly!
The roundhouse had put them on the same track,
So there they sat like brothers, back-to-back.
The train had first come thru on this date
Many years ago, so on this day they celebrate!
A tug of war between two engines with stout rope.
Would the Engineer win this year? He could hope!
Only his coal car was hitched to his engine.
Nelly was diesel, so didn't need a procession.
The hawser was tied tight between them.
The signal came, and the tug was on then!
His fireman shoveled coal like he was crazy
The thirsty firebox wanted "more, don't be lazy!"
The Engineer had a decent grip on the throttle;
Held that handle like a drunk holds a bottle!
This year the Eight-eighty-eight won the game!
By only eight inches, that was enough for fame!
"Decent Party"
ReplyDeleteThe annual party didn't leave us groggy,
we nursed our thirst and so didn't get foggy.
The event was really pretty decent,
and left no one bitter
about having to handle a baby-sitter.
So we ate all the food on our plate,
and made it home by half-past eight.
Thanks, Owen, for making us aware of the semi-mythic contests between diesel and steam on the RR tracks. I had to google to find info. There is some question whether it was a tug o'war or a push/shove contest, although your poem celebrates the former case.
ReplyDeleteHistorically there was more than one contest. I like your version, with Ol' Trip-8 taking the win. She deserves to be remembered in RR lore--right along with "Casey Jones"!
Misty ~ Glad you were able to make it this morning.
I'm sorry that my deferred "day off" may have surprised you by giving me TWO whole days off this week. But Owen has gallantly given you a couplet buddy today!
Your poem shows fine economy while making sense of the J-words and letting the unnamed parents enjoy their "annual party."
Good job, I'd say!
OMK, well, I really meant, allows me to notice that.
ReplyDeleteSANDY ~ Right! I actually thought you meant "you" in general, as in "one"--or "allows one to notice...."
ReplyDeleteIn any case, I doubt anyone on this blog is age-sensitive.
Being old allows one to forego such vanities.
~ OMK