Comments on: Thanks a lot, Caroline Kennedy

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:38:24 +0000

Thank you for the article on the bells and for mentioning on your website who assisted with the research. I am thinking of writing a novel that involve Russian church bells as major characters and appreciate all the information to be found in one, easly available location. Any other hints or links or suggestions or guidelines will be greatly appreciated as well!

By: Elif

Elif — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 22:40:36 +0000

Thanks, SW Foska! I guess another possible placement for comedy traffic school + Russian bells would be the “Pear-Growing Poplars” issue commemorating the final triumph of genetic horticulture. You’re right about the hedgehog and the fox BTW, I hadn’t thought of this.

By: SW Foska

SW Foska — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 20:46:35 +0000

Sounds like a variant on the Archilochean fox-hedgehog riff, from which I. Berlin famously started out in an essay. Maybe somebody will do likewise here. I have no such intention. My mission rather is to impart to you that In Romanian pears (pere) rhyme with apples (mere), pleasure (placere), and beer (bere) but not with bears (ursi). ‘When the poplar trees bear pears’ means in that tongue ‘never’, ‘in your dreams’.

By: Elif

Elif — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:17:45 +0000

Aha sorry, I forgot to complete that thought—I meant to say, ahlat is a kind of wild pear, believed to be especially beloved by (Turkish) bears. So, the bear knows 40 stories but all 40 of them are about his favorite thing, i.e., delicious delicious pears. I think there’s a variant of the expression, like, “The hunter knows 40 stories, but they’re all about hunting.” I prefer the bear version though, because I’m also quite fond of pears.

By: Jake

Jake — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:58:28 +0000

But THAT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE. Doesn’t the bear know at least one other story? Maybe about shitting in the woods? Why pears? Pears and bears don’t rhyme in Turkish, right? Is the the mysterious and esoteric wisdom of the Orient???