Sing a song of sixpence
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understandinguncertainty.org was produced by the Winton programme for the public understanding of risk based in the Statistical Laboratory in the University of Cambridge. The aim was to help improve the way that uncertainty and risk are discussed in society, and show how probability and statistics can be both useful and entertaining.
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Yesterday (1st March) for some unknown reason,I started contemplating the words of 'Sing a song of sixpence' and how at odds it is,with today's green philosophies, for it to be considered 'dainty' to bake blackbirds in a pie,and that the blackbirds subsequently sing from within a pie.
Add to that the nose of the maid being snipped off,and it all seems a tad gory to be telling a child.
Blow me down,if today,Richard Herring in the Metro newspaper (e-edition.metro.co.uk/2016/03/02/) on page 31,remarks that 'nursery rhymes are bloody twisted' and gives some examples of the noxious things found in children's nursery rhymes. The blackbird's were not in the examples,all the same for the very same subject to appear the very next day......!?
Date submitted:Wed, 02 Mar 2016 12:18:43 +0000Coincidence ID:8487
