Buzzzzzy

I'm buzzed from having my annual carol singing party tonight. When filing papers the other day, I came across an invitation I had created for one when I used to live in Mpls on Colfax. That would be about 20 years ago. Yup, I've been having these parties for quite a while.

Guess I'm finally tired enough to go to bed.

(We sang one Cthulu carol, but only one.)

Two forty for his speed

This question comes up every year: in the song Jingle Bells, what does the phrase "two forty for his speed" refer to?

Now the ground is white,
Go it while you're young;
Take the girls tonight,
And sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bobtailed nag,
Two forty for his speed,
Then hitch him to an open sleigh,
And crack! you'll take the lead.

The best answer I've seen: It's a phrase from the harness racing world and means doing a mile in two minutes and forty seconds, so 2:40 actually. It would be a brisk pace indeed pulling a sleigh.

Now will we remember this by the time next year rolls around?

Also, I get more Google hits for "two forty as his speed" instead of "two forty for his speed", but I'm not going to revise the song sheets for just that one word.

A small amusement

A headline from yesterday's newspaper: "Shuttle to land, but site up in air".