Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site amdahl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!amdahl!gam From: gam@amdahl.UUCP (Gordon A. Moffett) Newsgroups: net.misc,net.nlang Subject: Re: Origins of the "F word" as a folk myth. Message-ID: <360@amdahl.UUCP> Date: Sat, 13-Oct-84 17:03:07 EDT Article-I.D.: amdahl.360 Posted: Sat Oct 13 17:03:07 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 14-Oct-84 08:32:45 EDT References: <180@scc.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Amdahl Corp, Sunnyvale CA Lines: 19 Xref: 5969 1915 > scc!steiny Don Steiny - Personetics @ (408) 425-0382 > > ...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. (Certainly they would have had a lot of human ashes, though). -- Gordon A. Moffett ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,nsc}!amdahl!gam [ Only these only are only my only opinions, only. Thank you. ]