0

I was watching Flanders & Swann's 'Ill Wind', it's hilarious btw, but there's a line I don't get it :

I know some hearty folk, Whose party joke's (joke is) pretending to hunt with the Quorn.

what does it mean? is "jokes" the verb here? and Quorn is just a kind of vegetable food? I don't understand the meaning.

Fyi the whole lyrics is:

I once had a whim and I had to obey it, To buy a French horn in a second-hand shop. I polished it up and I started to play it, In spite of the neighbours who begged me to stop.

To sound my horn, I had to develop my embouchure. I found my horn, Was a bit of a devil to play. So artfully wound, To give you a sound, A beautiful sound, So rich and round.

Oh the hours I had to spend, Before I mastered it in the end.

But that was yesterday. And just today, I looked in the usual place. There was the case, But the horn itself was missing!

Oh where can it have gone? Haven't you, hasn't anyone seen my horn? Oh where can it have gone? What a blow, now I know, I'm unable to play my Allegro.

Who swiped that horn? I bet you a quid somebody did. Knowing I found a concerto, And wanted to play it, Afraid of my talent at playing the horn. For early today to my utter dismay, It had vanished away like the dew in the morn.

I've lost that horn! I know I was using it yesterday. I've lost that horn, lost that horn, Found that horn gorn.

There's not much hope of getting it back, Though I'd willingly pay a reward.

I know some hearty folk, Whose party jokes pretending to hunt with the Quorn. Gone away, gone away. Was it one of them took it away? Will you kindly return that horn? Where is the devil who pinched my horn? I shall tell the police!

I want that French horn back.

I miss its music more and more and more. Without that horn I'm feeling sad and so forelorn.

I found a concerto and wanted to play it, Displaying my talent at playing the horn. But early today to my utter dismay, It had totally vanished away. I'd practised the horn and I wanted to play it, But somebody took it away! I practised the horn and was longing to play it, But somebody took it away!

My neighbour's asleep in his bed, I'll soon make him wish he were dead, I'll take up the tuba instead - WAA WAA !

1
  • Given that the song was written at least 20 years before the foodstuff was invented, I very much doubt that they were singing about that Quorn. Commented Oct 13, 2021 at 17:16

1 Answer 1

8

The Quorn is a famous English fox hunt.
Not only is it one of the most famous hunts, it rhymes with Horn so fits the song.

It is based in the Leicestershire village of Quorn.

Foxhunting is no longer legal in the form that it was at the time of writing the song, so the name is not so familiar nowadays. However, most British people in the 1960s knew of the Quorn, and many still do.

Don't forget that Flanders & Swann wrote this long before the meat substitute was invented.

3
  • 5
    And jokes should have an apostrophe - short for joke is. Commented Oct 13, 2021 at 15:25
  • 2
    @KateBunting thanks that solves the grammar trap :p
    – athos
    Commented Oct 13, 2021 at 15:29
  • 3
    There's also some topical referential humor, since the French Horn started life as an instrument solely used for hunting. Commented Oct 13, 2021 at 17:45

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .