Topical Guide 169
Mark Dorset
Naïveté; Pretense of Sophistication
Slang
“A guy has got to be eternally vigilant if he doesn’t want to lose his girl. You know, there’s always somebody who wants to take your place.”
“There is?” I asked.
“And it’s when you think that you don’t have anything to worry about that you probably have the most to worry about,” Porky said.
“Why is that?” I asked.
“Well, when you start thinking you don’t have anything to worry about, you start taking her for granted.”
“Oh.”
“You stop sending her flowers—”
“Flowers?”
“You stop saying those sweet nothings she likes to hear—”
“Sweet nothings?”
“And pretty soon you start seeing signs that she’s bored.”
“Bored?”
“Sure. You have to remember to keep up the romantic touches, because when you get right down to it, it’s usually not you they like—what they like is romance.’
“Romance?”
“Of course, Peter. Before you know it, some other guy is sending her flowers, some other guy is whispering sweet nothings to her, and pretty soon another mule is kicking in your stall, you know what I mean?”
“Yeah,” I said. …Little Follies, “Take the Long Way Home”
You say you love me darlin’
Please, call me on the phone sometime
You say you love me darlin’
Please, call me on the phone sometime
When I hear your voice
Ease my worried mind
One of these days
I’m gonna show you how nice a man can be
One of these days
I’m gonna show you just how nice a man can be
I’m gonna buy you a brand new Cadillac
If you only speak some good words about me
Hear my phone ringin’
Sound like a long distance call
Hear my phone keep ringin’
Sound like a long distance call
When I picked up my receiver
The party said another mule kickin’ in your stallMuddy Waters, “Long Distance Call”
[more to come on Friday, January 7, 2022]
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