Who is the original author of "Unsolved Mysteries of Anatomy"?

Question

I have a newspaper clipping from the early 80's and I'm pretty convinced this is the original publication. I don't have the full article, or the name of the newspaper. There is no title on the poem, only a sentence that reads "Let's call it, unsolved mysteries of anatomy". Have re-posters simply used that as a default title? Give credit where credit is due!

VERBATIM:
""Where can a man buy a cap for his knee,
Or the key to a lock of his hair?
Is the crown of your head where jewels are found?
Who travels the bridge of your nose?
If you wanted to shingle the roof of your mouth,
Would you use the nails in your toes?
Can you sit in the shade of the palm of your hand
Or beat on the drum of your ear?
Can the calf in your leg eat the corn off your toe?
Then why not grow corn on the ear?
Can the crook in your elbow be sent to jail?
If so, just what did he do?
How can you sharpen your shoulder blades?
I'll be darned if I know -- do you? -- Andrew M., Hightstown, N.J.""

Answer 1

Foolish Questions
by William Cole


Where can a man buy a cap for his knee?
Or a key for the lock of his hair?
And can his eyes be called a school?
I would think—there are pupils there!
What jewels are found in the crown of his head,
And who walks on the bridge of his nose?
Can he use, in building the roof of his mouth,
the nails on the ends of his toes?
Can the crook of his elbow be sent to jail—
If it can, well, then, what did it do?
And how does he sharpen his shoulder blades?
I'll be hanged if I know—do you?
Can he sit in the shade of the palm of his hand,
and beat time with the drum in his ear?
Can the calf of his leg eat the corn on his toe?—


There's somethin' pretty strange around here!



FOOTNOTES: Adapted from an American Folk Rhyme



William Cole, "Foolish Questions" (adapted) from Oh, Such Foolishness (Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1978) as found in Kids Pick the Funniest Poems, edited by Bruce Lansky (Minnetonka, Minn.: Meadowbrook Press, 1991). Used by permission of the Estate of William Rossa Cole.

Source: Kids Pick the Funniest Poems (Meadowbrook Press, 1991).

Answer 2

Most sources say "Anonymous", but I did find this:

"Where can a man buy a cap for his knee?
Or a key for the lock of his hair?
And can his eyes be called a school?
I would think- there are pupils there!
What jewels are found in the crown of his head,
and who walks on the bridge of his nose?
Can he use, in building the roof of his mouth,
the nails on the ends of his toes?
Can the crook of his elbow be sent to jail-
if it can, well, then, what did it do?
And how can he sharpen his shoulder blades?
I'll be hanged if I know- do you?
Can he sit in the shade of the palm of his hand,
And beat time with the drum of his ear?
Can the calf of his leg eat the corn on his toe?
There's somethin' pretty strange around here!

American folk rhyme adapted by William Cole

Answer 3

Foolish Questions Poem

Answer 4

If I could solve one of history's unsolved mysteries is would be about the Great Pyramids!

Answer 5

This has been around since at least the 1920's. My mother taught me it in the 50's. I wish I knew the origin

Answer 6

Jacqueline Diboix

Answer 7

It is not me.