On Tue, 2008-08-05 at 17:39 -0400, Andy Looney wrote:
> their favorite bit, whatever that might be, is missing. Those issues are
> obviously at play here -- "resting" may be more canonical, but it's more
> awkward sounding and doesn't convey the essence of the situation as well
> "sleeping."
>
> I just wish the shopkeepr had used the word sleep in the sketch somewhere
> instead of using so many odd colloquialisms...
The odd colloquialisms are the essence of the sketch. But putting
"sleeping parrot" on the card doesn't harm the memory of the sketch at
all. "Sleeping parrot" plus the drawing of a clearly dead parrot
captures the actual humor of the sketch on a card better than any other
phrase, no matter how "authentic" that phrase might be when compared
with a transcription of the sketch. In fact, it's the only suggestion so
far that sets up any humor for someone entirely unfamiliar with the
sketch.
For backup, here's a great line from the xkcd comic that applies
remarkably well to the current situation:
Does anyone else find it funny that decades later,
people are still quoting---word-for-word---a group
loved for their mastery of shock, the unexpected,
and defiance of convention?
[Full comic at http://xkcd.com/16/ ]
-Carl (who fears he might be violating that sentiment just by joining
this debate...)
*Honor* Monty Python: promote surreal humor.