Re: hearken back OR hark back

Don Phillipson filted:
>
>"retrosorter" <hrichler@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>news:1133280745.545406.260480@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>> In my local newspaper this weekend I read the following sentence: "The
>> leaflet hearkened back to the former citizenry of the abandoned
>> hamlet." I would have written "harked back" but I must admit that I
>> have often seen the expression "hearken back" used. Is it considered
>> acceptable nowadays?
>
>This is such a common error it may pass into
>accepted usage -- which would be a pity since
>it elides two distinct words of different meanings,
>hark from foxhunting (which means to change
>direction) and hearken as a variant of hear, cf.
>"Hark, hark, the lark at heaven's gate sings."

Stuck Hark Syndrome:

A long out-of-work actor receives a telephone call from his agent. "Joe," says
the agent, "I secured a part for you. The lines are easy to remember. And the
play opens in ten days."

Joe is ecstatic, of course. "Great!," he replies. "What are my lines?"

The agent tells him, "Just one line and it is - Hark! I hear the sound of
cannon!" "It's not a big part, but you really need the work."

"That's a cinch," says Joe, "I'll take the part."

For the next ten days Joe studiously rehearses his lines. "Hark! I hear the
sound of cannon." "Hark! I hear the sound of cannon."

On the subways, in the bus, at home - "Hark! I hear the sound of cannon."

"This is my chance to break through and make it big," he thinks.

"Hark! I hear the sound of cannon. I have to remember this line. It's so
important for my career."

When the day of the opening arrives, Joe hops into a taxi and heads to the
theater. "Hark! I hear the sound of cannon. Hark! I hear the sound of cannon.
Gotta do well, gotta nail this part."

He changes into his costume - "Hark! I hear the sound of cannon." And soon is
waiting in the wings for his cue to go onstage. "Hark! I hear the sound of
cannon. This is my one opportunity. It has to work. Hark! I hear the sound of
cannon."

Just then the stage manager says, "Joe, you're on!"

As Joe runs to the middle of the stage he thinks to himself, "Hark! I hear the
sound of cannon." This is it!

When he reaches mid-stage he hears a loud BOOM! from behind him.

He turns around and exclaims, "What the hell was that?"

.....r

.

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