I coulda swore Unca Cece answered this one before but I can’t find it anywhere.
Why did Yankee Doodle call the feather in is cap “macaroni”?
In search of the eternal buzz . . .
The second definition for “macaroni” in most dictionaries is : An 18th cent. English Dandy
Well gee, the dictionary. There’s a novel idea. Thanks big bear!
In search of the eternal buzz . . .
The rhyme was originally, “stuck a feather in his hat and cabled to Marconi,” referring to the famous inventor of the wireless. The noodle (macaroni) is named after Marconi, in the same way that the Bismark is named after Otto von Bismark, and beef wellington is named after the Duke of Wellington. Napoleon had a pastry named after him, too, so I wonder if that’s a trend, and if someone would refill my scotch (hold the soda), I’d be glad to go into that…
Now if someone could explain why all my search results were listed as “toaster mystery” and the links went to unrelated threads . . .
In search of the eternal buzz . . .
The song"Yankee Doodle" was originally a taunt sung by British soldiers directed at American colonists. Basically, they were calling us a bunch of hicks. Yankee Doodle rides to town on a pony instead of a horse, and transforms himself with a feather from a farmer into a “dandy”. The song became popular with American colonists(with more flattering verses added) when we won the Revolution as a taunt back to the Brits - “We may be a bunch of hicks, but we still managed to whup you!” That sort of thing.
Verses from my son’s “children’s classics” tape:
Yankee Doodle went to town a’riding on a pony
Stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni
Yankee Doodle keep it up
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Mind the music and the step
And with the girls be handy
Father and I went down to camp
Along with Captain Goodin’
There were all the men and boys
As thick as hasty puddin’
And there was Captain Washington
Upon a slapping stallion
Giving orders to his men
I guess there were a million
Yankee Doodle is a tune
That comes in mighty handy
The enemy all runs away
And Yankee Doodle Dandy!
the reason ‘macaroni’ was a term for a ‘dandy’ in 18th cen. england was because "macaroni’ was a term for things Italian in general and the latest fashions at that time came from Italy.
I been holding this soda along time Dex, it ran thru my fingers, pour me a double of that Glenn Levitt, no water just a couple pieces of ice.
The clothes were shipped to England in traditional blue and yellow Neapolitan barges which usually stopped in Parma and other dairy centers along the way for additional cargo. They were listed in official Exchequer of customs accounts as; Craft, Macaroni and Cheese.
“Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx
When we were kids, we learned a variation on the lyrics from other kids:
Yankee Doodle went to London, riding on a turtle
Turned the corner just in time to see a lady’s girdle!
“If you drive an automobile, please drive carefully–because I walk in my sleep.”–Victor Borge
I had some of that beef wellington ,dex, it tasted like an old boot. oh,delta, that thing about the origination of dandy= italian=macaroni i gave you was legit.
“Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx
CKDH:
You left out Lord Sandwich, who got himself named after both a food and some islands too. Of course, Old McDonald decided to name his food after his occupation, hamburglar.
amberly:
Was there an actual Capt. Gooding?
Ray (no-gooding again)
Mary had a little lamb and the doctor was surprised
But when Old Macdonald had a farm the doctor nearly died!
You guys are a regular riot.
Mary had a little lamb…
With mint jelly.
Mary had a little lamb
She also had a bear.
I’ve often seen her little lamb,
But I’ve never seen her…
Oh dear, the things I learned at my daddy’s knee!
Along the lines of DSYoungEsq’s post:
Mary had a little lamb,
You’ve heard this tale before.
But did you know she passed her plate
And had a little more?
CKDH:
According to the dictionary, the use of the term macaroni to refer to a noodle predates Guglielmo Marconi’s discovery by a couple hundred years. I therefore don’t think “and cabled to Marconi” was the original version of the rhyme, but it may have been a clever change in response to Marconi’s work near the turn of the century.