Taking the Mic
I'm recording with my Yeti,
but nothing rhymes with Beano,
now, sing along with me and Betty,
'Green grow the rushes-o'.
😁😁😁 (or for the sake of the literati who take their humour seriously: "the rushes grow green-o")
Comments
Thu 16th Jan 2025 18:25
Hi Uilleam,
Yes, humour is a wonderful thing, as long as one is not misunderstood on either side. Then it can become unpleasant. Thanks for the song link. Very nice recording. After the seventh Green Grow the Rushes - O I thought...oh dear, if this goes to the 500th now, I don't just have an earworm problem. It reminds me of the 12 days of Christmas. Very nice! Thanks for letting me get to know it. I didn't know it until today.
Thu 16th Jan 2025 13:03
Link to Green grow the rushes-o
https://youtu.be/cjht2xQripM?list=RDcjht2xQripM
Thu 16th Jan 2025 12:53
Thanks, Rolph.
Humour's a funny thing😐couched as it is, in all sorts of cultural references and life experiences.
I'm a Lancashire lad, and love the Scousers' take on life, but we also share many things in common with the Yorkshiremen across them thar hills!
In my twenties, I had a Geordie work colleague, who was ex-forces; he was as mad as a hatter, but we got on like a house on fire!
Thu 16th Jan 2025 12:37
Hi Uilleam,
I really enjoyed your "pseudo"-limerick "Taking the Mic"—it’s such a playful and intriguing piece! As someone who isn’t a native English speaker and doesn’t have that strong familiarity with British culture, I found myself both amused and curious as I tried to uncover all the layers of meaning in your words.
The title, "Taking the Mic," struck me as a clever pun. I realised it might play on "taking the mickey", too. If that’s what you were going for, it’s a wonderfully subtle nod to British humour.
I also loved the line about nothing rhyming with "Beano." While I initially thought of it as a bit of random fun, I learned that "The Beano" is a classic British comic, and I now see how that adds a nostalgic or cultural twist to the humour. Plus, if "Beano" as a slang term for a party was part of your wordplay, it adds even more depth.
Finally, the ending with "Green grow the rushes-o" was such a surprising yet delightful touch. Though I’m not familiar with this folk song, I can sense its communal and traditional vibe, which feels like a contrast to the modern Yeti microphone. It’s a charming blend of the old and the new, which I really appreciate now that I’ve thought about it more.
I’ll admit, some of these layers didn’t fully click at first because of my cultural background, but that made your piece even more fascinating to unpack. Thank you for the humour and creativity—it’s a fun ride, even for someone like me who’s still learning about British quirks and idioms!
Best,
Rolph
Thu 16th Jan 2025 11:52
....or, for the sake of the literati who take their poetry seriously:
".....the rushes grow green-o"😐?
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Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Fri 17th Jan 2025 14:39
I’d have to disagree with you, Rolph, on “misunderstanding” humour.
Last year, only a few days after they had been strutting around on a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph, (ostensibly to honour the war dead) two failed former UK Prime Ministers, in their capacity as “guests of honour”, were laughing at a so-called comedian, singing in a private members’ club:
“We’re all racist now”.....“We’ve lost our way, long past our best. So I suggest maybe we should have let the Nazis win”......“They wouldn’t have stood for the state that we’re now in. The roads would be fine, the trains on time, we’d all have second language.”
That humour was fully understood, and it was an accurate portrayal of what a moral cesspit political life in the UK has become.