Thank you!

Posted by Kashima on September 04, 2004

In Reply to: Re: Marvell indeed. posted by Smokey Stover on September 04, 2004

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : I'm now listening to a song "Sadder-But-Wiser Girl" from the famous musical "Music Man".

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : Professor Hill sings to his friend that he prefers sadder-but-wiser woman to innocent, eager, pure, baby-doll girls, because the latter type of girls will merely take away his independence.

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : The lyrics are:

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : I spark, I fizz for the lady lady who knows what time it is,
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : I cheer, I rave for the virtue I'm too late to save,
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : The sadder-but-wiser girl for me.

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : Would someone help me with the meaning of the phrase
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : "a lady who knows what time it is", please?

: : : : : : : : : : : : :
: : : : : : : : : : : : : A lady who has 'been around the block', who knows the way of the world, who knows what's what, who is experienced.

: : : : : : : : : : : : A woman who isn't a virgin.

: : : : : : : : : : : Ah - at last a reliable 'virgin' test - if she knows the time she's not!

: : : : : : : : : : : Why didn't I hear that before...

: : : : : : : : : : She knows what time it is because she hears the clock ticking--for her. SS

: : : : : : : : : I was once told that there was no such test to determine a woman's virginity. Is this true?

: : : : : : : : Firstly just an opinion of mine: A woman who isn't a virgin, isn't necessarily a woman who's 'been around the block' or who's experienced. Likewise a man.

: : : : : : : : As for the original query, I must say that this 'I fizz for the lady lady who knows what time it is' is perplexing to me. The rest of the lyrics make the general meaning clear - but the 'knows what time it is' bit is strange to me. Smokey, I don't know about your theory re her hearing the clock ticking - makes her sound almost menopausal - or maybe I'm missing your point. Could it simply mean, 'knows what time it is' as in 'time to hit the cot and get on with it'?

: : : : : : : Oh sorry, and I forgot to add that Rude Boy's virgin test sounds pretty solid to me. If a woman doesn't know whether she's a virgin or not, well - hello!!! (Although I do realise there can be some undesirable circumstances where this is possible - so, please - no outrage). And also, this theory might also be the answer to the 'knows what time it is' question.

: : : : : : Seems to me that the test of a young womans virginity was to present her to a Unicorn. If she was a virgin, the Unicorn would put his head on her lap and go to sleep. If not.....it was not a pretty sight.

: : : : : Oh yeah, how could I forget the ol' Unicorn test.

: : : : What did I mean when I talked about a woman hearing the clock ticking? Well, what I THOUGHT I meant was that the woman is mature enough (not aged, please) to have a sense that time rushes on, and we must decide what matters to us in the time remaining. I admit that one might see a suggestion of the famous "biological clock." Do you remember Jephthe's daughter? She was only 14 or so when her father decided to sacrifice her, and her famous lament was that she was going to die a virgin. I have to add that Mrs. Stover does not agree with me about what Professor Hill meant. SS

: : : I thought I would raise the tone a little - could it not be an oblique reference to knowing that "Time's winged chariot drawing near" from that rather over-used seduction poem?
: : : The Rolling Stones' "Let's spend the night together" was a less subtle interpretation.

: : "Times winged chariot hurrying near"
: : apologies to Mr Marvell and everybody else.

: To his Coy Mistress
: by Andrew Marvell

:
: Had we but world enough, and time,
: This coyness, lady, were no crime.
: We would sit down and think which way
: To walk, and pass our long love's day;
: Thou by the Indian Ganges' side
: Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide
: Of Humber would complain. I would
: Love you ten years before the Flood;
: And you should, if you please, refuse
: Till the conversion of the Jews.
: My vegetable love should grow
: Vaster than empires, and more slow.
: An hundred years should go to praise
: Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
: Two hundred to adore each breast,
: But thirty thousand to the rest;
: An age at least to every part,
: And the last age should show your heart.
: For, lady, you deserve this state,
: Nor would I love at lower rate.

: But at my back I always hear
: Time's winged chariot hurrying near;
: And yonder all before us lie
: Deserts of vast eternity.

: [And so on. This is just the opening.] SS

Thank you, everyone, for your help. It's very interesting that this phrase has various implications and nuances. However, I am not a
native speaker, so please correct me if my understanding is wrong.

This phrase means:

a mature woman (not by age) who has had a lot of experience in the world and in life, including men (so naturally she is not a virgin), so that she knows when to say "yes" when being seduced by a guy, instead of being shy and naive. Because she knows that time flies and life is short.

• Re: Thank you! Kashima 04/September/04
  • Sounds good to me - that'll do... Lotg (OZ) 10/September/04