"Roberts era, ploys a decidedly playful approach in analyzing the rhy rues."-CHICAGO TRIBUNE

"Heavy Words LIgHly Thrown is obviously a labor of love, performed by aman obsesscd with language history, but intent on making the education of his readers a joyous experience " -MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

Nursery rhymes are rarely as innocent as they seem--a wealth of concealed meanings hides in our familiar childhood verse. More than a century after Qucen Victoria dccidcd that children werc better off without the full story, London librarian Chris Roberts brings the truth to light. He traces the origins of the subtle phrascs and antiquated ref erenccs, revealing religious hatred, political subversion, and sexual innuendo.

Roberts reveals that when Jack, nimble and quick, jumped over a candlestick, hc was reenacting a popular sport that tested whether a person was lean and healthy. Humpty Dumpty was actually a cannon mounted on the walls of a church in Colchester, blown up during the English Civil War. Few know that the cncklcs in "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" actually refer to cuckolds in the promiscuous court of Mary, Queen of Scots.Or that "Rub-a-dub-dub, three maids in a tub" was inspired by a fairground peep show.A fascinating history lesson that makes astonishing connections to contemporary popular culture, Heavy Words Lightly Thrown is for Anglophiles, parents, history buffs, and anyone who ever wondered about the origins of rhymes. Mother Goose will ncvcr look the samc again.

Preface to the US Edition xi

Introduction xv

Little Jack Homer a squatter？

LITTLE JACK HORNER 1

Taking divinity classes？

JACK BE NIMBLE 7

It's falling down

LONDON BRIDGE 9

Who let them out？

HARK, HARK, THE DOGS DO 8ARK 15

Fancy a rub-a-dub, then, matey？

RUB-A-DUB-DUB 20

Saucy geese ？

GOOSIE, GOOSIE, GANDER 23

Piecing together the story

HUMPTY-DUMPTY 27

Who ate all the pie？

SINGA SONG OF SIXPENCE 30

Bloody Mary, anyone ？

MARY, MARY, QUITE CONTRARY  33

A short tale ？

THREE BLIND MICE 37

A child's guide to taxation

BAA, BAA, BLACKSHEEP 41

So good they associated it twice

GRAND OLD DUKE OF YORK 44

Relationship rhymes

A FROG HE WOULD A-WOOING GO 49

Disaster warning？

LADYBIRD, LADYBIRD 56

A swift tour of London？

ORANGES AND LEMONS 60

Handbags at ten paces？

TWEEDLEDUMANDTWEEDLEDEE 65

I coulda been a pretender

WILLIAM AND MARY, GEORGE AND ANNE 67

Doesn't sweat much, for a fat lad

GEORGY PORGY 71

A few stops beyond Barking？

AS I WAS WALKING O'ER LITTLE MOORFIELDS 77

By eck, pet.

ELSIE MARLEY IS GROWN SO FINE 82

American graffiti

YANKEE DOODLE 87

Dial 999

LONDON'S BURNING 92

A quiet word about lullabies

BABY LOVE. MY BABY LOVE 97

Paved with gold？

TURN AGAIN, WHITTINGTON 103

Cat in well's chance？

DINGDONG BELL 109

Push, push, in the bush

HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH 113

A proper paddy？

THIS OLD MAN 117

Penny for them？

REMEMBER, REMEMBER 121

Pigs in wigs

ANIMALS IN NURSERY RHYMES 127

Where have all the sparrows gone？

WHO KILLED COCK ROBIN？ 137

Using or losing your head？

LITTLE BOY BLUE 145

Want some Jack and Jills ？

JACKAND JILL 149

Land of my fathers

TAFFY WAS A WELSHMAN 154

One everyone knows...

RING-A-RING O'ROSES 159

It's the getting there that counts

RIDE A COCK HORSE TO BANBURY CROSS 163

Kitty Fisher, now she's a sort

LUCYLOCKET 166

Would you Adam & Eve it？

POP GOES THEWEASEL 169

The odd couple

JACK SPRATT 175

Wages of sin？

SEE SAW, MARJORIE DAW  178

Pipe and slippers

OLD KING COLEWAS A MERRY OLD SOUL 181

A brief note about sources 187

Glossary  189