17 January, 2007

On scholarly habits: an epigram

If every schoolboy were to know what 'every schoolboy knows',
The world would need its schools no more, and gladly would they close.

or perhaps—

The world would be a place less dim, but far more dull, I s'pose.

Variations invited. Go on, give it a shot!

12 comments:

Raminagrobis said...

If every schoolboy were to know what 'every schoolboy knows',
Then schoolmen wouldn’t cavil at la moindre petit’ chose.

Conrad H. Roth said...

Good job, R. I considered 'chose' myself, actually--along the lines of--et ca serait une belle chose--but couldn't make it work. Your solution is far better.

Anyone else?

Anonymous said...

If every schoolboy were to know what "every schoolboy knows,"
Then none would stoop to doggerel, nor rhymes misdiagnose.

John B. said...

"If every schoolboy were to know what 'every schoolboy knows',
Then come examination time
Their brains would be less froze."

Conrad H. Roth said...

Ah, all superb; thank you, gentlemen. 'Froze'--ha! Very Ogden Nash.

Blue Genes said...

If every schoolboy were to know what every schoolboy knows, ils comprendraient la valeur de cette belle anadiplose

Conrad H. Roth said...

Ah, tres bien!

ThosEM said...

Gotta try my hand at this, but my French is too rusty for that (what the heck is "anadiplose"?)

Anyhow:
If every schoolboy were to know what "every schoolboy knows",
Then pontifical windbags could not as wise men pose.

Conrad H. Roth said...

Thanks, Tom. Windbags like Dembski, you perhaps mean?

Anadiplosis, for what it's worth, is a rather archaic rhetorical term (perhaps less archaic in French, I'm not sure) meaning the repetition of the last word of one line at the beginning of the next line. I take it Ms. Genes is referring either to the repetition of 'schoolboy / know' or to the couplet as a whole, but I could be wrong.

ThosEM said...

Dembski would certainly qualify as a prime example. Thanks for the read; mon dictionnaire est aussi au courant...

Anonymous said...

Oh, oh; windbag alert! I just found the following in my other blog, written this weekend.

"As any student of physics knows, conservation laws are more fundamental than force laws, and are often much more effective in getting practical solutions to problems."

Good grief. Power of suggestion?

Eddie J said...

If every schoolboy were to know what 'every schoolboy knows',
They'd graduate with healthy stores of scholarly adipose.