Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site watmath.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!ljdickey From: ljdickey@watmath.UUCP (Lee Dickey) Newsgroups: net.misc,net.nlang Subject: Re: Origins of the "F word" as a folk myth. Message-ID: <9453@watmath.UUCP> Date: Thu, 18-Oct-84 07:43:05 EDT Article-I.D.: watmath.9453 Posted: Thu Oct 18 07:43:05 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 21-Oct-84 07:40:06 EDT References: <180@scc.UUCP>, <360@amdahl.UUCP> Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 17 >> ...The darling ryhme: >> >> Ring around the rosie >> Pockets full of Posies. >> Ashes, ashes, all fall down. >> >> Is a reference to the bubonic plauge. The plauge caused red circles to >> appear on the skin. Posies were considered a charm to ward off the >> plauge, and victims were burned to ashes. > > I heard that the "ashes" were in reference to making a mark on the > forehead with ashes, another charm to ward off the Plague. Ashes seems to be a variation of "ah-choo". Sneezing is one of the symptoms of the plague. English children pronounce the last line differently from American children, saying "Ah-choo, ah-choo, all fall down".