# why is humpty dumpty portrayed as an egg?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-humpty-dumpty-portrayed-as-an-egg/89932
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [October 27, 2001, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-humpty-dumpty-portrayed-as-an-egg/89932 "2001-10-27T05:12:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![jgholz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a4c791/32.png) [@jgholz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jgholz)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2001, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-humpty-dumpty-portrayed-as-an-egg/89932/1 "2001-10-27T05:12:09Z")

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this may not sound particularly persuading, but i thought i read an article in an old “boy’s life” magazine about the origins of nurserey rhymes. i could have sworn that the poem symbolized somebody’s falling out of favor with the king. or, maybe not. it was a while ago.

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### Author: ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2001, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-humpty-dumpty-portrayed-as-an-egg/89932/2 "2001-10-27T09:00:04Z")

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A link to the Staff Report is appreciated. Providing one can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, making sure to leave a space on either side of it. [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mhumpty.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mhumpty.html)