Och, It's Wee Jonnie Updike

December 30, 2002 3:16 PM

Och, It's Wee Jonnie Updike. A verging-on-the-Brigadoonish rewrite of Scottish national bard Robert Burns (you'll be singing his "Auld Lang Syne" in about 24 hours), by the scrofulous old Joyce of the 'burbs himself. The original verse is "To a Mouse", rewritten after the news that geneticists find a lot in common between the DNA of mice and men.

Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie,
Braw science says that at the leastie
We share full ninety-nine per cent
O' genes, where'er the odd ane went.

'At the leastie'!? Jings, crivens, help ma boab, I think he's jeopardised his joab.
posted by theplayethic (4 comments total)

I think he's jeopardised his joab

I said, great jaerb.
posted by oflinkey at 5:17 PM on December 30, 2002

Here's a link to Robert Burns' original poem.

The original rhyme for 'beastie' was 'breastie', so 'leastie' is competitive.
posted by mmoncur at 2:58 AM on December 31, 2002

somebodys been reading oor wullie havent they ?
posted by sgt.serenity at 8:12 AM on December 31, 2002

They have leasties in New Jersey:

Least Tern (Sterna albifrons). The smallest of the three species of terns commonly observed in New Jersey, the "leastie" is the rarest and is included on the state's endangered species list. Like the black skimmer, it requires disturbance-free sand beaches and islands for nesting and has declined statewide as these coastal habitats have been taken over by humans.

posted by languagehat at 11:15 AM on December 31, 2002