# Humpty-Dumpty
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humpty-dumpty/104728
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 20, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humpty-dumpty/104728 "2002-04-20T23:18:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humpty-dumpty/104728/1 "2002-04-20T23:18:13Z")
Does anyone know why we think H-D is an egg? How about history of this nursery rhyme - how far back might it go?
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### Author:  [@The\_Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tim)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humpty-dumpty/104728/2 "2002-04-20T23:25:33Z")
Well in Through the Looking Glass an egg becomes Humpty-Dumpty. I’m not sure if that is the first connection between him and eggs however.
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### Author:  [@ignatzmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ignatzmouse)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2002, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humpty-dumpty/104728/3 "2002-04-21T00:49:36Z")
[Cecil](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mhumpty.html) cites Martin Gardner in saying that “Humpty Dumpty” is a medieval riddling rhyme with the answer being an egg. The Annotated Mother Goose by William S. Baring-Gould seems to agree.
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### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2002, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humpty-dumpty/104728/4 "2002-04-21T05:19:29Z")
**ignatzmouse** , a slight correction: the article you refer to is a staff report by **SDSTAFF Dex** (aka C K Dexter Haven), not Cecil.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2002, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humpty-dumpty/104728/5 "2002-04-22T21:34:52Z")
For a second there I thought Dex had been promoted.