The Comic Alphabet
Mr Eric Partridge asked recently for information about the “Comic Alphabet” —“A for ’orses, B for mutton” and so on. Two readers in “The Times Literary Supplement” gave this list and information: A for ’orses B for mutton C for thilanders D for entail E for Adam F for vescence G for police H for respect I for Novello J for oranges • K for ancis L for leather M for sis N for eggs (or N fra dig) O for the garden wall P for a penny Q for a song R for mo S for you T for two U for me V for la France W for a bob X for breakfast Y for gawd’s safe Z for breezes. The letters “I for Novello” and “K for ancis” show that the alphabet, or this version of it, is not an antique. It seems to have been concocted during Fleet street lunchtimes in the Cheshire Cheese by Messrs R. Montague Smith and Buchanan Taylor, and to have been first printed in the “Daily Mail,” December 22. 1934. A recording of it was made by Clapham and Dwyer in 1936.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19610506.2.7.6
Bibliographic details
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Press, Volume C, Issue 29506, 6 May 1961, Page 3
Word count
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193The Comic Alphabet Press, Volume C, Issue 29506, 6 May 1961, Page 3
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This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
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