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Sunday, May 27, 2018

John Donne, the 1980 Census, and a Journalist whom I wouldst cite if I recalledest his name

I have a fond memory of reading either The Washington Post or the late lamented dead tree Newsweek back in the 1970s. The article discussed that fact, due to times which had been changing, the Bureau of the Census had added a new category "person of the opposite sex sharing living quarters". Kidz theez dayz won't believe that there had been no need to count live in boyfriends and girlfriends back in 1970. Evidently at the Census they immediately started using the acrony POSSLQ (pronounced posselqueue) This lead a journalist (whose genius exceeds my limited memory) to reflect on how the great poets could have benefited, if they had access to this linguistic innovation, & then to rewrite the first stanza of "The Bait" by John Donne as follows (and I fair use both geniuses)

Come live with me, and be my love,

And we will some new pleasures prove

In short there isn't anything I wouldn't do

If you would be my POSSLQ

2 comments:

JimV said...

"This lead a journalist ..."

I think that should be "This led a journalist .."

(Sorry, I was raised by an English Major.)

Anonymous said...

Charles Osgood, My POSSLQ,

http://2000clicks.com/graeme/LangPoetryFunnyPOSSLQ.htm