Over on the thread about Thanksgiving TV shows I misquoted WKRP. I said "As God is my witness, I honestly thought turkeys could fly." The only problem with that is the word "honestly" doesn't appear in the original.

So have you ever re-watched a movie/TV show, re-read a book, or re-listened to a song only to find you've been misquoting it for years?

Always thought Winston said "Tell 'em about the Twinkie, Ray." But he doesn't say Ray.

I was well into adulthood before I realised that the lyrics to the children's song are "Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy". I'd grown up thinking they were just nonsense syllables that my mother had sung to me, like, "Maresy dotes and dozy dotes and little lamsey divey".

I just told this to the wife for a laugh and got a bigger laugh when she confirmed, "I thought we were learning a different language!"

This is exactly what I thought.

That's kinda the point of the song, no?

Um, yeah.

Yes, it's meant to be that way. It's even in the song:

♫ If the words sound queer and funny to your ear, a little bit jumbled and jivey,
Sing "Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy." ♪

I remembered the song but hadn't paid much attention to it. I didn't think he was speaking nonsense or a different language. Hell, I can't understand what anyone's saying in half the songs I hear.

Wiki sez:

One of the writers, Milton Drake, said the song was based on an English nursery rhyme. According to this story, Drake's four-year-old daughter came home singing, "Cowzy tweet and sowzy tweet and liddle sharksy doisters."

I've ruined the thread.

I learn something every day here.

Sharksy Doisters would be a great name for a character in a faux-noir musical. Doot needs to get on that.

Sowzy Tweet would be a great band name.

Girl with Brooklyn accent: "Oh, Mr. DOIstahs!"

"Call me Sharksy, doll."

I'm so proud! My first IMWAN topic has created my first IMWAN topic digression.

Bringing this slightly back on track (because at this point I'm not even sure this follows my own rules) there's a scene in Blood Simple where one character kills another one (trying to keep it vague to avoid spoilers) and says "You look stupid now." I always thought this was a great, absurd line. Except according to the published script it's "Look who's stupid now."

Until very recently I'd always believed that John Lennon sang the extended "aaah"s after Paul's vocal bit in "A Day in The Life". It wasn't until a couple of years ago when I first heard the isolated vocal track that I realized it's Paul singing them!

Yeah, I always thought that was John, too.

As for back on track, why yes, I misquoted someone for years and exposed my ignorance right here at ImWAN. When I KNEW by then I should look it up first to be sure.



I still haven't found who actually said it. But I'm convinced SOMEONE did.

WHAT????

And his gal friday, Hannah Doot.