| Arcane
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| 422365. Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:08 am |
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From (whispers) "The Scottish Play" ;-D the line "hubble, bubble, toil and trouble..." or "Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble..." is often quoted...
Erm, apparently it's not correct. Klaxon if you thought it was. In fact two klaxons if you care to read below...
Quote from wikiquotes:
"Bubble bubble, toil and trouble."
Correct quote: "Double, double toil and trouble." - William Shakespeare (Macbeth)
Notes: It is worth mentioning that the line following this quote reads "Fire burn and cauldron bubble"; if the first line had indeed read "Bubble bubble, toil and trouble", the second line would sound redundant. If this is kept in mind, accidental misquotations can be avoided.
The quotation is also often mispunctuated, with a comma after the second "double". This alters the meaning, as in the original (which lacks this comma) the word "double" is fairly clearly intended as an adjective rather than a verb imperative.
"Bubble bubble" was popularized in the hit Disney cartoon "DuckTales" - "Much Ado About Scrooge." The witches on the island chanted "Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. Leave this island on the double." Here the words from the Macbeth rhyming scheme are reversed."
from Macbeth, Act IV, Scene 1
A dark Cave. In the middle, a Caldron boiling. Thunder.
Enter the three Witches.
1 WITCH. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.
2 WITCH. Thrice and once, the hedge-pig whin'd.
3 WITCH. Harpier cries:-'tis time! 'tis time!
1 WITCH. Round about the caldron go
In the poison'd entrails throw.-
Toad, that under cold stone,
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot!
ALL. Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn, and caldron bubble. 2 WITCH. Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,-
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
ALL. Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
3 WITCH. Scale of dragon tooth of wolf
Witches' mummy maw and gulf
Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark
Root of hemlock digg'd i the dark
Liver of blaspheming Jew
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse
Nose of Turk, and Tartar's lips
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,-
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chaudron,
For the ingrediants of our caldron.
ALL. Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
2 WITCH. Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.
Oh dear. However, it will come in handy given that October 31st is around the corner... |
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| MinervaMoon
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| 422394. Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:31 am |
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| reddygirl wrote: | | the word "double" is fairly clearly intended as an adjective rather than a verb imperative. |
You've just reminded me of one of my pet micro-topics, albeit in the reverse of what is intended in the Witches' chant here:
In the song "Jingle Bells", the word "jingle" clearly is meant as a verb imperative. No one seems to realize it, and I concede that no one goes around analyzing song titles in the same way I do, but I've even had people try to rebut me and say that the song is simply telling someone that "the [adjective] bells / jingle all the way", when it's rather meant to say: "[verb], bells! [verb], bells! jingle all the way!" |
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| Arcane
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| 422399. Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:35 am |
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| Ie, in "jingle, (comma - action) bells, not "jingle (no comma - type of) bells"? |
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| MinervaMoon
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| 422412. Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:46 am |
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Yes, precisely.
"The word 'jingle' in the title and opening phrase is apparently an imperative verb."
-James J. Fuld, The Book of World-Famous Music |
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| Arcane
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| 422422. Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:56 am |
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| I've also found different sources as to why "Jingle, Bells" :-) was written! |
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| AngelWolf
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| 423311. Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:22 pm |
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I remember in my English class, people arguing with my teacher that 'Shakespeare was wrong'. I thought it was hilarious.
You've probably all heard the piece about 'Ich bin ein Berliner' by JFK. It aggravates me slightly that people believe it didn't gramatically mean I am a person from Berlin. The German is fine, ein, an indefinite article, is often omitted when talking about one's residence or profession, but is needed when talking figuratively, as Kennedy did.
It aggravates me further that some people then proceed to also mistranslate the Noun ein Berliner as a hamburger rather than a regional Jam Doughnut.
Urbn legends are fun, but blimey!!!
Wolf |
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| bobwilson
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| 423313. Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:33 pm |
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| Well yes wolf - but it's much funnier to believe that Kennedy said "I am a doughnut (or donut as he's american)" than to have the truth. Eddie Izzard's take on this was brilliant - it don't matter what you say, just say it at the right time to the right people. Much the same as blessed are the cheesemakers. |
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| bobwilson
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| 423316. Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:35 pm |
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| Quote: | | In the song "Jingle Bells", the word "jingle" clearly is meant as a verb imperative |
Now you've said that it seems obvious - that the song is saying "Jingle dem bells massa" rather than describing the bells as Jingle type devices. But I confess I'd always thought of Jingle as an adjective before. /Gets moron coat. |
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| Izzardesque
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| 423480. Thu Oct 16, 2008 5:11 am |
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I'd always thought of it as an imperative.
[Eddie Izzard] Its slang! He's American - he's a donuuuuut![/Eddie Izzard] |
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| Odins Raven
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| 423524. Thu Oct 16, 2008 6:08 am |
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| bobwilson wrote: | | Quote: | | In the song "Jingle Bells", the word "jingle" clearly is meant as a verb imperative |
Now you've said that it seems obvious - that the song is saying "Jingle dem bells massa" rather than describing the bells as Jingle type devices. But I confess I'd always thought of Jingle as an adjective before. /Gets moron coat. |
I have always seen it as an object, a jingle bell is a quite specific bell that one associates with the season of good will towards all, but yes I can see how it can be seen as an imperative verb. |
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| gruff5
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| 424181. Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:33 am |
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I'm currently "seeing" a witch. She has a broom in the hallway and a cauldron by the fireplace and belongs to the local covern of witches (really).
I'm always very polite to her. |
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| Arcane
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| 424722. Sat Oct 18, 2008 6:17 am |
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Talking of witches: Witches cannot "put a spell on someone". There are complex rituals involving true witchcraft, particularly magic involving other people! There are banishing or binding rituals that can be intended for someone else, but there are strict rules regarding those (and potentially nasty consequences) - "what you put out will come back, times three (The Threefold Law) "And ye harm none, do what ye will".
Cauldrons are used in rituals/spells, but not necessarily to boil things up - more to heat resins, powders, herbs, etc.
And it's called a coven, or sometimes a circle. Depends on which branch of witchery she is involved with (yes, there are a lot). |
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| gruff5
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| 424772. Sat Oct 18, 2008 7:13 am |
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| Yes, she told me that "putting spells on people" isn't part of the repertoire. So, that's reassuring ;-) |
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| Arcane
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| 424778. Sat Oct 18, 2008 7:20 am |
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| So, she's obviously out of the broom closet eh? ;-D |
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| thegrandwazoo
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| 425260. Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:09 am |
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| Mrs Wazoo appears to have used the text of the Scottish Play as a cookery book for the last 25 years. |
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