Friday, April 25, 2008

Frog

FROG, n. A reptile with edible legs. The first mention of frogs in profane literature is in Homer's narrative of the war between them and the mice. Skeptical persons have doubted Homer's authorship of the work, but the learned, ingenious and industrious Dr. Schliemann has set the question forever at rest by uncovering the bones of the slain frogs. One of the forms of moral suasion by which Pharaoh was besought to favor the Israelities was a plague of frogs, but Pharaoh, who liked them fricasees, remarked, with truly oriental stoicism, that he could stand it as long as the frogs and the Jews could; so the programme was changed. The frog is a diligent songster, having a good voice but no ear. The libretto of his favorite opera, as written by Aristophanes, is brief, simple and effective — "brekekex-koax"; the music is apparently by that eminent composer, Richard Wagner. Horses have a frog in each hoof — a thoughtful provision of nature, enabling them to shine in a hurdle race.

2008 Update:  A vocal, amphibious fruit, humble by nature though not in practice.  The language of frogs of every continent and island seems to be a lingua franca, blending Hungarian vocabulary with male grammar.

Boldog születésnapot, Ariel!  The rest of you mugs should wish her one, too.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not here for weeks on end and now first.

Anonymous said...

Now about Frogs...When we lived in Saratoga Springs, NY we had a large pond on our property. At night the sound of the Frogs was so loud that I had a hard time sleeping.
I am a city girl and the sound of traffic and sirens are a lullaby to me.

Unknown said...

the French (they have great legs)

happy birthday Ariel honey!!!
xxx

otzodmad: angry with Australia

Anonymous said...

FROG, n. Irishman, so called from his wearin' o' the green. At some point in History, a Dubliner must have had an unfortunate reaction to Parisian cooking, accounting for the otherwise inexplicable association of this word with the French.

An American dollar bill, obviously the worse for wear, staggered into a bar. The bartender, a boldog named Wonthi, asked the two obvious questions, in this order: "What'll you have?" and "What the hell happened to you?"

Bill answered "Yes" and "You don't want to know." Then, while Wonthi was pouring the double bourbon on the rocks, proceeded to tell him anyway. About the hours on end in sweaty billfolds, and being slammed mercilessly on one counter after another, and about the two kids who pinned him to a table and scribbled on him. "I tell you, Dawg", he slurred, "it ain't easy being green."

At this point, a slimy guy with skinny arms, a somewhat vacant expression, and a ukulele, comes up to the bar and tells Bill, "Hey, man, that line's great! Can I use it? It'll get you lots of company ..." He picks a chord on the microguitar and starts singing. Before long, Bill and Wonthi have joined in. They're just getting truly warmed up when, from outside the bar, comes this high-pitched, imperious whine.

"Keerrrr - MEEE!"

"Ooops, gotta go," says the player. "See you in Hollywood."

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday, Ariel. You don't tend bar, do you ....?

Anonymous said...

This is what I know about frogs -- if you have well water and the well is full of frogs, then you go play in the well even though it is forbidden, don't let your little cousin get a drink because when she sticks her face in the well and sucks up the water she will swallow a frog and then set up the most unholy waiting one has ever heard. Next thing you know you'll be grounded for the whole rest of the summer and unable to sit down to boot. Trust me on this.

And HAppy Birthday , Ariel. I remember we traded bites of birthday cake last year. This year OC and I already ate the whole thing. Of course, we only got one piece from the restaurant -- Chocolate Volcano Cake. Yum.

TLP said...

Did you do this one before?

Happy happy day to Ariel! A most talented lady.

G said...

Happy Birthday to Ariel ~ may your day be as beautiful and interesting as your photos.

It's part of the bow
don't you know
that my kinder had a
hard time gripping

Came up with a song
to sing the day long
to remind her
the fingers were slipping.

Well that was random.

Miz BoheMia said...

In Denmark I would often find the teeny variety of frog, grab them and kiss them... the whole prince thing is SO not true!

*sigh*

Happy Birthday Ariel!

Hermanito... te eché mucho de menos!

Ariel the Thief said...

Frogs are from Hungary, every frog is a Hungarian frog in the end, this is why everywhere in the world they say, brekeke.

OC, I read The Lord of The Rings in Hungarian translation only, I had no idea there's a word "boldog" in English! Boldog means happy in Hungarian. I think, this is a good sign.

Quilly, it is ok if you tell me more about what you call Volcano Cake. I already love it.

Thank you all for your kind wishes! Catch many frogs today and don't go to bed hungry!

The Boy from S.A.C.A.D.A. said...

Yay its one for the end of the month! Ribbit Ribbit!

Anonymous said...

Well,frogs and foreordain,what do i see in common here...a prince in waiting,,to take the garbage out.....Birthday Greeting to the another side of the pond...peace and a fine weekend...

Anonymous said...

Ariel, I would not mislead you. "Boldog" is not a word in English. "Bulldog" is, and, in English, "bol" can sometimes be pronounced "bull" ...

Jamie Dawn said...

Frog - I've had one in my throat for quite some time now, and I wish to heck he'd get outta there!!!


A super duper HAPPY Birthday to Ariel!!!!!
Chocolate truffles make birthdays better.
I wish you unlimited chocolate truffles, Ariel.

tsduff said...

"Froggy" was my favorite Little Rascal.

Mo'a - I'm just the opposite of you, as I think that the serenading of the frogs is a most comforting and pleasant sound.

Ariel, I wish you every happiness today on your birthday! And cake.

Mutha said...

Happy Birthday Ariel -- and many happy returns of the frog -- I mean, day.
We lived beside the woods I see through my window now for years before I realized those crickets I heard at night were actually frogs. Ah the city girl and her ignorance to the natural world.

Anybody dig frog legs? They sell them in the seafood section of my supermarket -- which I have always found funny: seafood by default.

Jim said...

Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!
Happy Birthday Ariel!

That's all the better I can sing, I have a frog in my throat right now.

Frog -- Doug has the legs, the cat's got the tail, guess I'll settle for the neck or a wing.
..

javajazz said...

happy subtlesnapshot bulldog, Ariel...!

Anonymous said...

For Ariel --

Volcano Cake -- a small chocolate bunt cake is placed upon a bed of chocolate syrup. The hole in the center of the cake is filled with hot fudge. The cake is topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and MORE chocolate fudge. A Cherry is added -- and then spoons! Yum! (NOTE: There are no frogs in this recipe, but I suppose you an add one to Dawg's piece just to keep him happy.

Ariel the Thief said...

Cherry AND a frog. Tree-frog, for the colour. Thank you!

You guys are so funny! Thank you for all this laughter of today and yesterday.

JJ, you get it. ;-)

Doug The Una said...

Mo'a, well done on your firstness. Obviously, I prefer the frogs. We should have swapped.

Actonbell, do we need to know more than that?

Karma, funny and your abilities with the verifier never dull! Perfect celebration.

So, Amoeba, Kermit was a plagiarist? I should have know from his shifty eyes.

So, Quilly, it wasn't just the grown-ups that wanted you dead?

TLP, I think I haven't but I might of.

Hahaha, g. Random but fun.

Miz B, en la proxima vida, besiste sapos mejor.

Happy birthday, Ariel!

Ribbet, ribbet, Boy.

Jamie Dawn, did you try not swallowing flies?

Terry, is that the one went a-courtin'? I really expected to hear about Froggy goin' courtin' an' ridin'.

Mutha, that is funny. I suppose amphibian is pretty close to trout.

Jim, you have the voice of an angel.

JJ, well done.

Quilly, I'd be fine with a hamhock.

Ariel, I hope it was grand.

Anonymous said...

It has been a bit dry here lately and so, today, when I went to remove the winter leaves from the window wells, I discovered 23 tiny toads and one comparatively large wood frog

I did not eat his legs.

ribbit

tsduff said...

Sword and pistol by his side ahhummmmm

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, Ariel! May this life and all your other incarnations be happy!

Ribbit!

Ariel the Thief said...

Thank you, Froggy!

Brekeke