tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3656676447117981125.post8363639230923632665..comments2014-05-06T09:54:23.723-04:00Comments on The Last Leaf Gardener: "Time is fun when you are having flies."The Last Leaf Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05911264708148372608noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3656676447117981125.post-72617550135430690432011-11-08T07:19:06.718-05:002011-11-08T07:19:06.718-05:00Yes, my friend, Lucifer is gorgeous indeed, Clare,...Yes, my friend, Lucifer is gorgeous indeed, Clare, and he knows it too!<br /><br />I thank you for reminding me of the quotation that I have recently discovered is usually attributed to Groucho Marx.<br /><br />Prior to associating it with the comedian, it stumped me in Structure of English graduate courses at college where I struggled with grammar rules as I had since childhood when I received a lot of "red ink" on my written work as well as many "See me after class!!!!" threats.<br /><br />In grad school, the quote was being analyzed by anyone and everyone in that academic environment as "they" concluded that "the sentence uses 'flies' as a verb and then 'flies' as a noun. It uses 'like' as a preposition and then 'like' as a verb. Because the structure of the two parts is identical, the reader stumbles over the second part. It is meant to demonstrate the confusion caused by structure and words with different meanings, and it does so in a humorous way."<br /><br />Whilst the powers of academia that be picked apart the fun quote, I liked it on its own terms, and I thought that their analysis took the spontaneity out of it, reminding me of another quote that Lucifer, my rhinestone amphibian friend told me, "Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it". Lucifer gives E.B. White the credit for the quote.<br /><br />And I give Lucifer the credit for sharing it with me, as I give you a nod, Clare, for bringing to my mind a quote that had been associated with linguistics professors.<br /><br />Thanks again for stopping by. <br /><br />P.S. It has also been brought to my attention that 'Time flies like an arrow... fruit flies like a banana.' is known as a "garden variety" quote as it leads folks down the garden path. Since I am gardener, I can also appreciate that association.The Last Leaf Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05911264708148372608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3656676447117981125.post-14212891043051315242011-11-07T16:41:27.041-05:002011-11-07T16:41:27.041-05:00He's a gorgeous little devil, isn't he? Yo...He's a gorgeous little devil, isn't he? Your clever heading reminds me of that other saying: 'Time flies like an arrow... fruit flies like a banana.'<br />(I thank you... I'll be here all week!)broken birohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06233920262119205474noreply@blogger.com