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What flies like a what-what

A list of 48 words by madmouth.

About

I always find it charming when students replace the prosy "blah-blah-blah" with "what-what-what"

Anyway! This is a list of constituency riddles in the template of "Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana" (c/o ruzuzuzur)

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  • ruzuzu commented on the list what-flies-like-a-what-what

    I adore you.

    Nota bene: The quotation from Groucho is over on fruit flies (thanks to bilby).

    January 16, 2014

  • madmouth commented on the list what-flies-like-a-what-what

    <3Ɛ>

    January 17, 2014

  • bilby commented on the list what-flies-like-a-what-what

    I confess to some pleasurable sensations in adding hoo-ha to madmouth's what-what.

    January 17, 2014

  • madmouth commented on the list what-flies-like-a-what-what

    well, shucks and welcome to your hoo-ha

    January 18, 2014

  • alexz commented on the list what-flies-like-a-what-what

    so, this is a linguist thing.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_flies_like_an_arrow;_fruit_flies_like_a_banana

    January 19, 2014

  • alexz commented on the list what-flies-like-a-what-what

    From the year 1722 , Year of the Plague

    "In the summer before the Plague," says Mr. Boghurst, " there was such a multitude of flies, that they lined the insides of houses, and if any thread or string did hang down in any place, it was presently thick 'set with flies, like a rope of onions;"

    January 19, 2014

  • alexz commented on the list what-flies-like-a-what-what

    From The Affectionate Pair, Or the History of Sung-Kin: A Chinese Tale http://books.google.ca/books?id=rak-AAAAcAAJ
    "They were each upwards of forty years of age but had neither son nor daughter Sung tun one day observed to his wife there is an old adage which says Men should rear children to wait on them in old age and store up provision against times of famine You and I are now both upwards of forty and are still without children Time flies like an arrow In the twinkling of an eye we shall be grey headed and when we become infirm on whom can we depend for support Having thus spoke the tears involuntarily trickled down his cheeks "

    "Time flies like an arrow and ere they were aware a year and two months elapsed when Ech uen bore him a daughter The husband and wife loved it more than gold and each nursed it in turn "


    This phrase shows up in many Chinese/English dictionaries in the 1800's.
    Summary: Wikipedia can be wrong.

    January 19, 2014

  • alexz commented on the list what-flies-like-a-what-what

    Earliest 'flies like an arrow' ?

    A Latin English dictionary.
    http://books.google.ca/books?id=-v1YAAAAcAAJ
    to FLIE
    it flies like an arrow out of a bow

    January 19, 2014

  • fbharjo commented on the list what-flies-like-a-what-what

    Everyone (who has contributed to this list), take a bow! - a long bow!....and take another shot!

    January 19, 2014

  • madmouth commented on the list what-flies-like-a-what-what

    I concur - well-informed copypasta especially

    January 20, 2014

  • ruzuzu commented on the list what-flies-like-a-what-what

    "I love misattribution. She's a swell gal."

    --Abraham Lincoln

    January 21, 2014