cock robin ?

[AllforNun]

it not a robin with a...is it ?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

No, it is a sparrow killer.

[SteveT]

Aye said the sparrow,

With my little bow and arrow.

Murderous little bar stud.

[AllforNun]

a sparrow killer you say ? how, what, is it ....what is this thing, another bird then ? ie a cockrobin ?

[Huguenot]

I think you'll find that cock robin was the victim, not the perpetrator of this vicious crime.

It's not 'Aye, said the sparrow', it's 'I, said the sparrow' as he 'fessed up.

I understand that it was an allegorical rhyme, and that in fact it referred to maybe the (legendary) Robin Hood, or Robert Walpole, ex-PM, or a variety of other public figures.

So I guess cock referred not to his penis, or his gender, but to his leadership qualities.

Reading it again now, there's a suggestion that the crowd who are so dedicated to glorifying his death were also complicit in his murder. The sparrow isn't chastised, and certainly some of the gang were present at his demise.

Perhaps there's a connection with the Jade Goody thread?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Blimey, chastised by Hugenot for mixing my birds up!

[Huguenot]

:))

[AllforNun]

thank you that was the kind of informative post i was hoping for, now on to to my next mystery word or phrase. AFN