Offlist: [stormingheaven] ebonics?

[kelley]

poor jack was gonna get the ole ball and chain clamped onto his ankle.
nah.  actually, i've heard it used by people into wiccan because it comes
from an old st. catherine's day ritual which was when people in jolly old
england often got married--end of harvest you know.  probably had to after
all the plowing.  <snort>  so it was a party game to see if you'd have good
luck for the next year.  if you you managed to jump w/o extinguishing the
candle then you'd have good luck.  so, this is what they were chanting as
jack took a leap.

bill lear wonders:


>Jack, were he nimble.
>Jack, were he quick,
>Jack, were he all of these, he would jump over the candle-stick.


>Or was it all a simple description of material reality:


>Jack is nimble.
>Jack is quick.
>Jack jumps over the candle-stick.


>And why is he jumping over a candle-stick, anyway?


>Bill