The Great Panjandrum
So she went into the garden
to cut a cabbage-leaf
to make an apple-pie;
and at the same time
a great she-bear, coming down the street,
pops its head into the shop.
What! no soap?
So he died,
and she very imprudently married the Barber:
and there were present
the Picninnies,
and the Joblillies,
and the Garyulies,
and the great Panjandrum himself,
with the little round button at top;
and they all fell to playing the game of catch-as-catch-can,
till the gunpowder ran out at the heels of their boots
Commentary
… completely unintentionally, I seem to have stumbled across a theme of sorts…
(Composed by Foote in 1755 to test the memory of the actor Charles Macklin, who had claimed he could read any paragraph once through and then recite it verbatim. It is not recorded whether or not Macklin was, in fact, able to memorise the passage at first reading, but he apparently took great pleasure in reciting both the anecdote and the passage in later life).
Yes, the theme for this week is (as you may have guessed) poems which have given words to the English language. This one’s one of my favourites: like an Escher etching or a Lear limerick1, each little part seems to make perfect sense, while the whole is nonsensical, even surreal.
— Thomas
- [while on the theme]
- Main Entry: panjandrum
- Pronunciation: pan-‘jan-dr&m
- Function: noun
- Inflected Form(s): plural -drums also panjandra /-dr&/ Etymology: Great Panjandrum, burlesque title of an imaginary personage in some nonsense lines by Samuel Foote
- Date: 1755
- a powerful personage or pretentious official
– from MWCD10, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition,
online at http://www.m-w.com
I’ve heard the phrase ‘Grand Panjandrum’ as well (especially in the dictionary sense of the word); perhaps the resonance of the vowel sounds has something to do with the popularity of this variant.
Endnote
… this particular poem is the sample text used in a standard Java tutorial on using file streams… as a result, a web search on ‘Great Panjandrum’ returned several zillion sites… :-)
-
alliteration always amuses… ↩
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From the Wondering Minstrels mailing list, 1999–2008.
Bromleian · 11 April 2000
Dear whoever
Maybe you know, or may be you don’t, that Randalph Caldecott produced some glorious illustrations to this nonsense.
Incidentally, another of Foote’s claims to fame was to have invented the matinee (not actually the word but the phenomenon). The Lord Chamberlain closed down his production of offensive burlesques and imitations of his contemporaries, The Diversions of the Morning, because the theate, in the Haywarket had no patent for plays. Foote fought back by inviting his audience to take “Tea” with him at 3.00 pm, at which he promised that his burleques would fortuitously happen to appear. It was the first occasion of afternoon performances and the device became popular.
Regards ———– Nick Bromley
Philip Boyden · 17 June 2001
I first heard this quotation in about 1956, when I was 10, when my headmaster recited it to me to see how quickly I could learn it. I don’t think he had to say it more than than twice and I have retained a good 90% of it ever since.
The version I remember, though, is the one you quote and definitely not the version attributed to Quin by Nick Bounds.
Philip Boyden
Anna Matsen · 3 October 2001
Thank you so much for the information concerning this poem. I had no idea why it was written. After I told a friend of mine the first half of this poem he asked me who Samuel Foote was, and what the poem meant. This has been very enlightening.
–Sarah N. Mattrison
__________________________ Shortest distance between two jokes: A straight line (think about it for a moment) 2000 mockingbirds: 2 kilo mockingbirds
10 rations: 1 decoration
2.4 statute miles of intravenous surgical tubing at Yale University Hospital: 1 I.V. League
Bob: Hey Larry, what’s the difference between a toaster and a shaving razor? Larry: I don’t know, what?
Bob: Really, you don’t know? Man, you must have a hard time shaving in the morning!
Madir Diane T · 24 October 2001
I just read the last comment by Bromleian@aol and wanted to thank him for clarifying the role of Randolph Caldecott with this poem. The Great Panjandrum was featured in a much loved childrens set of short stories from my youth, however it left me with the impression Caldecott wrote the piece. The illustrations are fabulous and add so much to the story that I’m glad to be set straight at last on Foote as the author, and Caldecott as the illustrator. Thanks!
harlene · 18 June 2003
Subj: Help me on some words
What do these mean ???
Joblillies
Garyulies
Bill Evarts · 28 March 2005
My grandmother recited this to my brother and I during world war 2 as a memory excerciser.
Bill Evarts
Tristram Lett · 18 September 2005
My father quoted this ditty to us when we were kids and made it a piece of memory work when we were on car trips. Because of its illogical nature and silliness, it wasn’t always easy for a five year old to get it right. Now I see the correct version 52 years later, my father had a few minor errors with his version. This has become part of the family heritage as now my kids have learned it and I know they will pass it on to theirs. Thanks for sharing!
Tristram S. Lett
Principal
Reef Knot Financial LtdBC
Alan Knight · 12 April 2006
My Sister and I came upon this fine piece of work when we were kids and recited it incessantly. It was included in one of the volumes of ‘Verse & Worse’ published by Faber back in the 60’s.
I still use it to astonish children with whenever I am unable to avoid their company.
Alan Knight.