While reading Megan’s blog, I noticed a reference to the ol’ Monday’s Child poem. Remember it?
Monday’s child is fair of face,
Tuesday’s child is full of grace,
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,
Thursday’s child has far to go,
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child works hard for his living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.
Having been born on a Wednesday, this poem always bugged me. FULL OF WOE? Nuts to you, Devonshire residents circa 1838! Let’s prayerfully consider one of the following substitutions:
Wednesday’s child shall have no foe
Wednesday’s child loves sun and snow
Wednesday’s child’s no average joe
Wednesday’s child won’t stoop that low
Wednesday’s child will learn and grow
Wednesday’s child doesn’t rely on outmoded nursery rhymes to predict her fate, thanks
Have you ever felt ripped off by this poem? Sunday’s child hits the flattery jackpot, of course, but Thursday’s children were saddled with ambiguity. Any clumsy Tuesdays out there?
Here’s the plan:
1) Use Wikipedia to look up your birth year
2) See which weekday was fortunate enough to claim your glorious birth
3) Leave a comment for me. Does the poem describe you accurately, or not so much? Care to write a few better lines?
Full of woe, indeed. Hmph!
I actually am a Monday’s child! So…I like my little blurb. Do you think I’m fair of face?
Anyway, I can see how Wednesday and Thursday would feel dissed. The poet must have known the birthdays of some folks who totally wronged him.
Rebekah: Mister, I am biased in favor of your face.
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haha. Loved this post. I read it out loud to my husband, I loved it so much. He, too, had a good laugh.
I’m Monday’s child, fwiw, and I’ve always had terrible and hideous acne.
Rebekah: What day was Garry born?
Woman, I have seen your photos, and you are TOTALLY fair of face. Acne doesn’t change that.
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The blog notes say you guys commented between 11:37 and 11:47 am on October 12th…..but THIS is October 12th and it’s only 8:32 am in Indiana.
??????????????
Rebekah: I’m puzzled, too. My blog SAYS it’s telling me the correct time, but how is it always tomorrow? What else has the blog been hiding from me, hmm?
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Thursday. for me.
Bah!
Rebekah: Humbug! Thursday’s child is totally gnarly AND tubular.
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Sunday. it all works for me but I’m not gay. and I also have questions about my overall goodness. So how about ‘bonnie and blithe and stuffed with hay.’
Rebekah: Bonnie and blithe in San Jose? Bonnie and blithe and good with clay!
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http://www.wolframalpha.com/
^
This thing is amazing. Way better than wikipedia at looking up dates.
I suppose the friday works well enough for me.
Rebekah: That link is outrageously cool, if potentially overwhelming; I searched for “1985 dates” and it gave me the Nutrition Facts for dates— serving size 1,985 dates. Dude.
You ARE loving and giving, even if there’s no modest way to say so yourself.
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Logan and Jillian both were born on Thursdays. My awesome self was born on a Sunday! woo!lol! I agree though…I don’t like Wednesday’s or Thursday’s: what happened to “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”?
Rebekah: Ha! Good question!
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Noel was born on a friday…loving and giving…when it’s about noel…lol!
Rebekah: I’m pretty impressively loving and giving [with myself], too.
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In defense of Noel, and myself, I was also born on a Friday, and that ‘loving and giving’ business takes years to really kick in.
I bet Saturdays didn’t work hard for their living when they were little kids either.
Monday’s fair of face may be the only attribute in the collection you can get right away at birth. Maybe.
Rebekah: Thursday’s child is an automatic one too, but don’t ALL babies have far to go?
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Incidentally, there was a song on the radio when I was a kid that started out “Friday’s child, born a little ugly….” and I never liked that song much. As an adult I wonder what on earth it was about. My kid-self could never get past that first line.
Rebekah: So the poem should go “Monday’s child is a lot like Tuesday’s child, Tuesday’s child varies from one day to the next, for information about Wednesday’s child please refer to Monday’s description…”
The song you mentioned is “Friday’s Child”, performed by Nancy Sinatra. How many Playboy centerfolds sing the blues? How many girls with millionaire fathers record songs about how hard their lives are? Hmm….
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I’m a Wednesday girl too. I found out from wolframalpha I have the same birthday as Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Dizzy Gillespie. I guess I should go read Rime of the Ancient Mariner, then I’ll be full of woe, and then go to Gillespie to cheer up.
Rebekah: Atta girl, Wednesday! You’re poised for action.
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Which Garry? Big Garry is a Wednesday, Little Garry is a Friday, and while we’re at it, Little Rachel was a Sunday.
Rebekah: I was thinking Big Garry, but now my curiosity is EXTRA satisfied.
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Is this where I step in and gloat about my Sunday’s child birthright?
Actually, I don’t think I fit in with your typical Sabbath child crowd. I’m more Scroogelike than anything.
Rebekah: Eh, I imagine you’re running about average.
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I have been calculating everyone I can think of and so far No Tuesdays, is that weird or what?
Maybe Tuesdays are all conservative and quietly religious and don’t hang out with my folks?
Rebekah: Or maybe they’re off galivanting, not near a computer.
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I’m also Wednesday’s Child. Absurd I say! I’m petitioning for the sun and snow alteration.
My beastie was born on a Monday. Perhaps dating attractive young men throws off our woe factor?
Rebekah: How could it hurt?
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Nyah nyah, I’m a Sunday’s child! XD
I remember reading that poem when I was little and truly believing that I was superior to children born on other days of the week.
I’d say the description applies to skeptical ol’ me more now than it did when I took it as gospel.
Bring on the gay jokes! Deflector shields up!
Rebekah: I’m more skeptical about you being “bonnie and blithe” than gay. Usually pretty cheerful, but “bonnie and blithe ” is a tall order. Also, those are two girls’ names. Schizophrenia?
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Ming Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 8:06 AM
Gaye is a girl’s name too. Dad dated a Gaye once when I was in my early teens. He made me go to her house with him on one memorable occasion. She played hymns on the organ (QUIET DOWN, YOU) and we were supposed to sing along. I’d be more blithe if it had never happened.
Rebekah: Gaye IS a girl’s name.
I don’t think “played hymns on the organ” is HALF as fun as the line “Dad dated a Gaye once”.
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I am Friday. Guess I got lucky. ;-P
Rebekah: I won’t begrudge you a little good fortune. ~grumble grumble~
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Friday…woooo!
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