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Blog Kindergarten. A Bossy Tutorial: The Wishbone.

wishbone

The Etruscans were Italians before there was Rome
And they started a custom with a chicken’s Wishbone
Which is the furcula bone between the neck and the breast
A slight V-shaped thing, most of you could attest.

But did you know the Etruscans thought fowls were prophetic?
Because hens predict their eggs with a squawk—how pathetic
And so these old-timers would ask their bird questions
They must not have had Cable is Bossy’s impression.

Anyway, that tradition was handed down to the Romans
Who looked to their chickens to predict the town’s omens
They believed a broken wishbone could enable good luck
For whoever broke the big piece. The small piece = schmuck.

The Romans handed this superstition down to the English
Who re-named the Wishbone to please their standards (quite priggish)
And thus “Merrythoughts” was the bone the British acquired
When they wanted the wish they all so desired.

Here’s how: two people take hold of either side of the bone
And pull ‘til it breaks—if there’s a trick, it’s unknown,
Because strength has nothing to do with the winner
Next: you keep your wish quiet and get back to your dinner.

Hence the origin of the phrase, “I can’t catch a break.”
Who knew there’s an expression from a bone, for chrissake.
In honor of those Etruscans and their wishbones so kitsch,
Just what would you want if you could have your one wish?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Is it not the correct holiday I wish for ‘peace on earth good will towards all’ ? That is the greatest wish of all!

    Happy Happy Day to Bossy and her fab family!

    I enjoy visiting you and your family every day, thank you Bossy~!

    Reply

  4. I would wish for no money woes for my family. Its the bane of my existance. I hate money. I love bossy. Happy Thanksgiving girlfriend!
    Lisa
    coastal nest

    Reply

  7. After the sincere but obligatory “peace on earth” wish, I would selfishly wish for good health for my family. And your family. And everyone’s family. This is getting awkward, let’s just say “health on earth.”

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  8. I wish that my beautiful little boy, Noah, who died on Thanksgiving morning twelve years ago was sitting right here in the kitchen with me. I miss him and am so very thankful for him. Happy Thanksgiving all.

    Reply

  9. I would wish for just one more of those big family dinners with ALL the family-grandparents, parents, kids…I would even sit at the kids’ table again if I could just bring them back for one more Thanksgiving.

    Reply

  11. to not have a dysfunctional family, hence i am spending today with a different kind of family. though i am grateful for what i do have. i know it is more than what others have these days. i wish the bossy family much fun today and can’t wait to read about it in the coming posts. enjoy. love to stella.

    Reply

  15. Before I read this I would have said something along the lines of health and happiness for those I love, but now I’m thinking I might like to learn a little more about Etruscans.

    Reply

  20. A beautiful day, loving company, a fine meal.

    With the terrible things going on in the world, that’s the best I can wish for.

    Reply

  24. Great poem… when did you get time to do that??
    Wishing y’all a Happy Thanksgiving.
    Don’t eat too much (hah!)…

    Oh, and I am wishing for some rain. But on me, not on you!
    🙂
    BB

    Reply

  28. As per Tuli Family tradition, my brother and I broke the wishbone today. I got the big piece. (Which is usually the case.) Can’t tell ya what I wished for, though, because I REALLY want it to come true. 🙂
    Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

    Reply

  30. Growing up in my house we always had to let the wishbone dry out for a few days. (It was always put on the window sill above the kitchen sink.) I thought that was the way it was done. But maybe our parents were just trying to postpone the event. 4 kids so there was a debate about which 2 could do it.

    Reply

  33. I’d wish for no worries, but then I’d probably worry that I didn’t have a worry. (Where worry = the state of the planet; the state of human beings; the state of our country; the state of the economy; the state of my family; the state of my job security; the state of my bank account; the state of my pantry; the state of my wine glass.)

    Reply

  35. Well, since peace and health on earth has been covered I’m going to selfishly wish for a laptop. I want to go back to school for graphic design and need a better system than our PC to handle all the programs. Happy Thanksgiving to the Bossy house!

    Reply

  36. Guess what Bossy… it’s RAINING ON MY ROOF!!! (comment this morning #24).

    Amazing… are you like the magic lamp genie? I’m coming back next year to wish for a Lotto win. Good stuff!!

    🙂
    BB

    PS Hope you are all stuffed like turkeys and thankful to be so!

    Reply

  37. I wish that mt husband, who was laid off 6 weeks ago would find a job that will be enougn for 7 kids. Two of them are in college. I just wish to have enough,because I really don’t want an ulcer.Thank you.

    Reply

  39. Good health for my family, financial security, too
    Those are the wishes fairly obvious, it’s true.
    So what would I wish that’s kinda out of the box?
    A wish that would knock off those proverbial socks?

    I had a dream last night, and Bossy was there
    All smiles and graciousness and fabulous hair.
    It was Bossy’s birthday, and we were having a party;
    Only women were there – sadly, no Mr. Farty.

    Bossy asked me to give the toast for the occasion
    Who, me? I’m just… me! So it took some persuasion.
    But I gave a speech so moving to hear
    No one left that space without shedding a tear.

    I spoke about how Bossy is funny and true
    And she gets real, too, lets her humanity shine through.

    Would that be my wish? To give Bossy a toast?
    To share in her birthday, with wit and ripostes?
    That seems a bit much, it should be a day set aside
    For close friends and family, always by your side.

    So, dream notwithstanding, I’m not part of that posse
    But one day I’ll raise a glass with sweet, funny Bossy.

    Reply

  41. My wish would be that some of the men that hit on me that are in their 40’s would understand that I will only consider dating a man ten years or less older than me. Oy.

    Reply

  42. I always wish, whenever I can, pennies in fountains, 11:11 on the clock, wishbones, every time – I wish for a happy, healthy baby.

    Reply

  46. Global poverty. Sucks. Must go away.
    And disease.
    And hatred.

    After that, I wish to raise a large rainbow family with a hot, sweet, musical, artistic, humanitarian.

    Too much to ask for you say? Give me that damn wishbone, and I’ll see what I can do.

    Reply

  48. I wish that I could ditch the viral stomach bug that hit me yesterday morning. Yes, it’s trivial and small, but by God, to NOT want to eat this weekend of all?

    Great diet plan tho….

    Reply

  49. I wish to tell you that there IS a trick. Don’t pull. If you let the other guy do the pulling, you will win the big piece of bone. But that’s cheating, so you won’t get your wish. And not today – you must let the bone dry out for several days.

    Reply

  50. I’d wish for peace, cause the world’s quite a fright,
    Can’t believe what I see on my TV tonight.
    And Janet is right, the trick is a cinch,
    Don’t pull, but that’s cheating, you big old mean GRINCH.

    Oh, wrong holiday….sorry.

    Reply

  51. I love it! I think my in-laws do not want ANYONE to have good luck. There is never talk of wishbone action. Pfft, they say, you were born /or/ married into this family, so deal with it.

    Irrepressible me says… I’d wish for peace, inner and outer.

    Reply

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