Here we go gathering Nuts in May etc. cant think of any nuts that would be harvested in May, mostly its autumn, well in the UK that is.
anyone know the origin of this rhyme?
2007-09-30 19:38:19 · 5 answers · asked by Summer Rain 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Poetry
Yes, it definitely seems to be more to do with 'knots' than 'nuts'.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/35/messages/318.html
2007-09-30 23:03:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nuts would normally not be collectable until the autumn and several theories attempt to explain gathering them in May. It could have been part of May Day celebrations when people would collect knots (rather than nuts) of flowers for the festive decorations. May is not normally associated with frosts. An alternative theory is that the nuts refer to the sweet edible tubers of the pignut plant
Sounds sort of plausible!
2007-09-30 19:44:52 · answer #2 · answered by Sal*UK 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
may does not normally have nuts or cold frosty mornings.
it is likeliest that the rime is deliberate nonsense of the 'all in the wrong' variety: a type which was very popular from ancient times down until quite recently.
2007-09-30 19:55:49 · answer #3 · answered by synopsis 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
maybe gathering people to morris dance. morris dancers, maypole dancers, all pretty nuts aren't they.
seriously though i wonder if the nuts that were harvested the previous autumn and been stored are brought out and eaten as a celebratory treat?
2007-09-30 19:53:10 · answer #4 · answered by ididntknodat 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Doughnuts.
2007-09-30 20:53:54 · answer #5 · answered by Ronnie 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋