Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind the Rhyme (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Little "Jack" Horner was actually Thomas Horner, steward to the Abbot of Glastonbury during the reign of King Henry VIII..." (more)
Key Phrases: green wood side, paddy whack, round the mulberry bush, King Cole, Mother Goose, Middle Ages (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. A librarian by night and a London tour guide by day, Roberts deploys an informal style of scholarship to dazzling effect, transforming a catalogue of familiar nursery rhymes into a treasure trove of tantalizingly slippery archaisms, hidden etymological layers, arcane associations and buried meanings. Having explained how the Victorians sanitized nursery rhymes' traditionally earthy content, Roberts attends to each ditty separately, printing obscure variants and tracing historical references, from British constitutional history to bygone pagan customs. Unlocking the secret meanings of the past, Roberts also finds plenty of refreshingly straightforward modern-day analogies for the nursery rhymes—the chanted taunts of the average British soccer fan illustrate certain rhymes' original tone and purpose. In a fluidly digressive style, he debunks accepted theories and confidently asserts his own. His reading of "Hark, Hark, the Dogs Do Bark," for example, starts out by describing Elizabethan mass vagrancy, proceeds to anatomize 17th-century anti-Dutch sentiment and the etymology of the word "beggar," and winds up with a spirited commentary on New Age travelers. Roberts's intimate knowledge of London history is perfectly suited to his discussions of "London Bridge Is Falling Down" and "Pop Goes the Weasel." As any good historian of oral culture ought, Roberts intelligently admits that many rhymes have open-ended meanings subject to multiple interpretations. This is better than history lite—it's history made delightful. (Aug. 18)
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Product Description

Was Little Jack Horner a squatter? "Baa Baa Black Sheep" a bleat about taxation? What did Jack and Jill really do on that hill? Chris Roberts reveals the seamy and quirky stories behind our favorite nursery rhymes.

Nursery rhymes are rarely as innocent as they seem—there is a wealth of concealed meaning in our familiar childhood verse. More than a century after Queen Victoria decided that children were better off without the full story, London librarian Chris Roberts brings the truth to light. He traces the origins of the subtle phrases and antiquated references, revealing religious hatred, political subversion, and sexual innuendo.

Roberts reveals that when Jack, nimble and quick, jumped over a candlestick, he 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 cockles 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 peepshow.

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 has ever wondered about the origins of rhymes. The book features a glossary of slang and historical terms, and spooky silhouettes of nursery-rhyme characters to accompany the rhymes. Mother Goose will never look the same again.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Gotham (August 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592401309
• ISBN-13: 978-1592401307
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #159,806 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating trivia, December 31, 2005

By	Gregory Baird (Morristown, NJ) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

My sister gave me this book as a Christmas present and I have been devouring it ever since. It is a light and breezy examination of nursery rhymes and where they come from. Someone earlier criticized the author for going off on tangents that had nothing to do with the rhyme in question, and I disagree with this. I think that he was providing a historical context for the rhymes that served to deepen one's understanding of how they came into being, not padding the book with useless information. I have found it to be a fascinating read, and the people with whom I have shared some of the revelations gleaned from it (Little Jack Horner is about a land thief! Mary, Mary, quite contrary is about Bloody Mary!) have also been intrigued. "Heavy Words Lightly Thrown" is a clever and witty diversion that will change the way you look at nursery rhymes -- and make you feel like a smarty-pants in the process. An absolute must for any trivia buffs out there.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting!, September 17, 2005

By	SailorLawyer (Annapolis, MD) - See all my reviews

Nowhere are false etymologies more rampant than in the genre of nursery rhyme interpretation. Chris Roberts, using meticulous scholarly methodology, has traced the rhythms of our childhoods to their true origins, and does so with captivating pizzazz. He has performed the dusty scholarship so that we don't have to, and often he finds that our favorite nonsense rhymes are just...nonsense. Wonderful book.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun, light reading, November 28, 2005

By	dephal (California) - See all my reviews

This book makes for fun and light reading, perfect for those bits and pieces of time when you're waiting for an appointment. The author's approach is interesting and engaging, and the book helpfully provides a glossary to help non-Brits understand the Britishisms. Unfortunately, the book also left me wanting more information in several places, and sometimes the author sacrifices data in favor of humor (and he has an annoying obsession with football). Still, a painless way to learn about common nursery rhymes.