I’ve been learning some new words today, the first of which popped up in today’s Friday poem by Annie Freud (I can’t find a link to the poem but here’s the author) and the word is Mondegreen. OH will probably pop up in the comments and say I already knew this from a conversation years ago but if so I have forgotten it. As you probably already know, mondegreen defines a misheard song lyric which is better or at least funnier than the original: examples include ‘scuse me while I kiss this guy’, ‘just a bit of stockwater tea’ and ‘there’s a bathroom on the right’(from Purple Haze, Evita and Bad Moon Rising respectively.)
Trump has been learning some new words too. True, they don’t include the much-needed words ‘sorry’ or ‘concede’ but they are significant nonetheless. Late, inadequate, self-serving as it was, in his latest video he condemned the riots he himself incited without claiming responsibility for them, and acknowledged that there would be a peaceful transition without actually admitting defeat. Well, it’s not great but it’s something and hopefully now his supporters will stand down to allow that peaceful transition. Whatever his motives – and I imagine the threat to invoke article 25 and remove him from office will have concentrated his mind wonderfully – he has moved out of the way, at least for now. He seemed to signal that he would come back in 2024 but we’ll see. I think he’s dished himself but I may yet be proved wrong.
Another new word I’ve learnt today is apocalypse. Well I did already know this word of course but what I didn’t realise was that it doesn’t mean disaster so much as a massive upheaval, one which leads to a revelation. To put it in the words of Elizabeth Bishop:
The art of losing isn’t hard to master/ though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47536/one-art
So there are my new words for today. And on this auspicious Friday I invite you to practise the art of losing… Trump!
Joy!
Kirk out
PS Oh, and I nearly forgot – I’ve had a short story accepted by those wonderful people at Stand magazine. It’ll be out later in the year.
Sarada Gray 
You may well not have heard it, I’m not sure. Does this mean you’re cracking on with the Greek then?
? I don’t see the connection. Or are you talking about new words? I am doing a bit, yes
The compunction is that “apocalypse” is a grease worm.
Duh?
Mondegreens are great. “Super trouper bees are gonna blind me”. You’ve got my favourite, though, “kiss this guy” – brilliant – it would have been earth moving coming through the lips of of Jimi Hendrix.
LOL yes the Abba one is great. I also thought for years that Neil Diamond was singing Cracklin’ Rosie, you’re a starbart woman. I had no idea what a starbart woman was…
Good news about the short story. Today hasn’t been auspicious for me, at least far as the early bit is concerned; car conked out in town before I could do my bit of shopping; AA couldn’t fix it so towed me to my friendly neighbourhood garage; they couldn’t drop me home because of, the dreaded, so I had to slop home in the rain & snow through humungous puddles [not far enough for a cab and I’m too tight anyway]. Happy days! 😉 I did do my bit of shopping while I was waiting for the AA man though, so I won’t starve 😀 Cheers, Jon.
Oh dear! Sorry to hear about the car, hope you get it fixed soon
Well done with the story publication, Sarada.
I had never heard of the word ‘Mondegreen’. I looked it up, and was surpised to see it dates back to as long ago as 1954.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks. It’s surprising isn’t it? It sounds like a very modern thing