Matt Duffy writes:
On the Christmas special of QI [series 6: Episode 2] there was a section on the twelve days of Christmas. On the screen behind the contestants you could see the line 'Four calling birds'.
I pointed out that this was a mistake, saying the correct lyric is 'Four colley birds'. My girlfriend disagrees.
I am aware that many people sing 'calling birds' but I am sure that this is incorrect.
Please help!
An Elf replies:
Happy to help where we can, Matt.
On this occasion, I must say that I agree with you, though the issue is far from clear-cut.
As you probably remember from the show, the song probably derives from a traditional parlour game played across Europe on Twelfth Night. It certainly appears from our research that the original line was "four colly birds" - a "colly bird" being a blackbird - the phrase that began its life as "four coal-ly birds." (you can see why blackbirds might be called "coal-ly birds"). Some claim that all the first seven articles in the song refer to birds: gold rings may actually refer to five ring-necked birds such as pheasants.
But I suppose your girlfriend could quite as easily argue that to the common man, the lyric has evolved to "calling birds," so these days, that is the correct lyric. You may also be interested to know that the "pear tree" may well have been originally "perdrix," pronounced "per-dree" in french, the old french word for a partridge. Incidentally, as a spare fact, the word comes from the greek base "Perd" meaning "to break wind" referring to the fart-like sounds of the bird's wings.
Quibble Questionable
sources:
Oxford Book of Carols
E-mail correspondence with Novello & Co Ltd
http://birds.suite101.com/article.cfm/a_partridge_in_a_pear_tree
http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/music/12days.asp
OED
Do you have a bone to pick with QI? Contact us on elves@qi.com
On the Christmas special of QI [series 6: Episode 2] there was a section on the twelve days of Christmas. On the screen behind the contestants you could see the line 'Four calling birds'.
I pointed out that this was a mistake, saying the correct lyric is 'Four colley birds'. My girlfriend disagrees.
I am aware that many people sing 'calling birds' but I am sure that this is incorrect.
Please help!
An Elf replies:
Happy to help where we can, Matt.
On this occasion, I must say that I agree with you, though the issue is far from clear-cut.
As you probably remember from the show, the song probably derives from a traditional parlour game played across Europe on Twelfth Night. It certainly appears from our research that the original line was "four colly birds" - a "colly bird" being a blackbird - the phrase that began its life as "four coal-ly birds." (you can see why blackbirds might be called "coal-ly birds"). Some claim that all the first seven articles in the song refer to birds: gold rings may actually refer to five ring-necked birds such as pheasants.
But I suppose your girlfriend could quite as easily argue that to the common man, the lyric has evolved to "calling birds," so these days, that is the correct lyric. You may also be interested to know that the "pear tree" may well have been originally "perdrix," pronounced "per-dree" in french, the old french word for a partridge. Incidentally, as a spare fact, the word comes from the greek base "Perd" meaning "to break wind" referring to the fart-like sounds of the bird's wings.
Quibble Questionable
sources:
Oxford Book of Carols
E-mail correspondence with Novello & Co Ltd
http://birds.suite101.com/article.cfm/a_partridge_in_a_pear_tree
http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/music/12days.asp
OED
Do you have a bone to pick with QI? Contact us on elves@qi.com
Am I missing something..?
If "pear tree" was actually per-dree, then are we singing "a partridge in a partridge"??
**well, it's only a theory, but if it were true it would be "a partridge, un perdrix" - i.e. "A partridge, a partridge" - still not great, but at least it doesn't imply some kind of stuffing!**
A 'Colley' bird is another name for a Blackbird.