# Meaning of "was to certain poor shepherds" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-was-to-certain-poor-shepherds/521873 "2009-12-19T18:04:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-was-to-certain-poor-shepherds/521873/41 "2009-12-21T18:47:50Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > That’s because there is no such thing as “Orient Are.” > > The correct phrase was “Orien Tar.” I had that figured out by 1st grade. > Do I have to do all of the thinking around here??? > > hh And in Silent Night, I keep thinking that Jesus is a holy imbecile, tender and mild. I know that’s not right, but every year… ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-was-to-certain-poor-shepherds/521873/42 "2009-12-21T19:17:59Z")
Tender and mild - it’s the marinade. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-was-to-certain-poor-shepherds/521873/43 "2009-12-21T20:40:29Z")
Emily Litella wins the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-was-to-certain-poor-shepherds/521873/44 "2009-12-21T20:48:54Z")
> [@brujaja](#): > > So it’s saying, the first song that the angels sang rejoicing at the birth of Jesus was sung to certain particular shepherds. I’m not certain that people who raise sheep for a living can afford to be too particular. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-was-to-certain-poor-shepherds/521873/45 "2009-12-22T01:27:12Z")
Skammer, I summarized it as just “gold and incense” because myrrh and frankincense are both just varieties of incense. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-was-to-certain-poor-shepherds/521873/46 "2009-12-22T01:42:55Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay, “Was?” Not “t’was?” Learn something new each day. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-was-to-certain-poor-shepherds/521873/47 "2009-12-22T02:01:47Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > In grade school (long before there was a Ringo Starr), we sang: > > _We three kings of Orient are, > Trying to smoke a Raleigh cigar, > It was loaded, > It exploded, > BOOM!_ We sang the same in about 1956 “rubber cigar.” Hell, it didn’t make sense then. Maybe it shudda been “Raleigh.” ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-was-to-certain-poor-shepherds/521873/48 "2009-12-23T04:22:27Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > We sang the same in about 1956 “rubber cigar.” Hell, it didn’t make sense then. Maybe it shudda been “Raleigh.” In Canada, in the 1970s it was “Cuban Cigar”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-was-to-certain-poor-shepherds/521873.md?page=2)