2007-01-03 20:30:58 · 11 answers · asked by ? 5 in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
Bob
Good Luck!!!
2007-01-03 20:35:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
It's name is not given. The "bells on bobtails ring" are bells on bobbed tails or tails that have been cut short. Many years ago when you cut a tail off of an animal it was commonly known as having a bobbed tail.
But here is the problem. It is a ONE horse open sleigh. So, there would likely not be "bobtails ring" but "a bobbed tail ringing" or some such. I think it used to be correct english but somewhere got mucked up along the way. Or maybe the vision of the scene is many horses with bobbed tails but that sounds unlikely. To go any furthur would reqire a literary historian or a book written by one.
Author: Dan Bowman
Posted: 12/27/2000; 7:39:03 PM
Topic: December 27, 2000
Msg #: 950 (in response to 947)
Prev/Next: 949/951
Reads: 1005
Hi Sheila,
"Bobtail" is the horse pulling the sleigh. Not so much his/her name; more likely the fact that it had a bobbed tail.
The bells were typically fastened to a yoke-like harness around his neck (and often on the traces of the harness).
Dan Bowman (and venerable Mom with the memory)
http://thetimesink.editthispage.com
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Re: BobTail, Sheila Simmons, 12/27/00; 8:21:18 PM
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© Copyright 1999-2004 Sheila Simmons.
Email: sheila at ranchero dot com
Author: Sheila Simmons
Posted: 12/27/2000; 8:21:18 PM
Topic: December 27, 2000
Msg #: 951 (in response to 950)
Prev/Next: 950/952
Reads: 1209
Yeah, I thought about it a bit more and concluded the bobtail must be the horse pulling the one-horse open sleigh, a horse with a bobbed tail. I just couldn't resist the silly image of the bobtail cat! :-)
Thanks for the info, though. It's nice that the Christmas Carols really do make sense.
2007-01-03 20:55:07 · answer #2 · answered by Chris the discerner 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Bobtail as in:
Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh,
O'er the fields we go, laughing all the way.
Bells on bobtail ring, making spirits bright,
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight.
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.
2007-01-03 20:55:07 · answer #3 · answered by Basement Bob 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Oh, the horse's name isn't Bob! It's got a BOBBED TAIL! (trimmed neat) Name's probably something like Phydeaux, or Kittykitty.
2007-01-04 01:36:11 · answer #4 · answered by Zeera 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the words say
"Bells on Bobs tail ringing"
Thus the bells must be on the tail of BOB
thus the name of the horse must be BOB
2007-01-03 21:51:47 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bob as in bobtail?
2007-01-03 22:02:37 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bobtail......it says bells on Bobtail.
2007-01-03 20:36:31 · answer #7 · answered by Texas T 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Good question: Dont know if there is an answer for that one...
2007-01-03 20:35:23 · answer #8 · answered by Chicago Girl 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
bobtail
2007-01-03 20:42:43 · answer #9 · answered by Mary R 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Bobtails ?????, I dont really know...
2007-01-03 20:32:22 · answer #10 · answered by melark 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋