[78-L] another batch of burning questions

[David Lennick]

Have you seen the well-to-do
Up on Lenox Avenue
On that famous thoroughfare
With their noses in the air

High hats and narrow collars
White spats and fifteen dollars
Spending every dime
For a wonderful time

If you're blue
And you don't know where to go to
Why don't you go where Harlem flits
Puttin' on the Ritz

Spangled Gowns upon the bevy of
High browns from down the levy*
All misfits
Puttin' on the Ritz

That's where each and every lulu-belle goes
Every Thursday evening with her swell beaus
Rubbin' elbows

Come with me and we'll attend their jubilee
And see them spend
Their last two bits
Puttin' on the Ritz


* I corrected a couple of misquotes but couldn't resist leaving that one 
intact. That Levy and his high browns, my oh my..

dl

On 5/15/2012 10:32 AM, Philip Carli wrote:
> It _is_ to display an attitude of superiority, or, really, to  look down upon or haughtily ignore someone. Think "top hat", which is what it's referring to - still a regular article of men's full evening dress until the late 1940s, and a mark of class division. P
> ________________________________________
> From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com [78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] on behalf of neechevoneeznayou at gmail.com [neechevoneeznayou at gmail.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2012 9:31 AM
> To: 78-L Mail List
> Subject: Re: [78-L] another batch of burning questions
>
> "High hat" is a type of cymbal in a drum set. As a verb, perhaps it
> refers to hitting someone on top of the head?
>
> joe salerno
>
>
> On 5/15/2012 3:04 AM, Rod Brown wrote:
>
>> What is meant by "high hat," used as a verb? I've heard this in the Memphis
>> Slim song, "Mother Earth." From memory:
>>
>> You may high-hat me all the time
>> And you may never come my way
>> Mother Earth is waiting for you
>> There's a debt you have to pay
>>
>> It sounds like to "high-hat" is to display an attitude of superiority, but
>> does anyone know their way around this term?
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