• A soothing advertisement

    From Jeff Barnett@jbb@notatt.com to alt.usage.english,sci.lang on Sat May 24 00:03:52 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.lang

    Many years ago, I would drive by the Los Angeles International airport
    on the my way to work. Near there, visible from the freeway, was a
    billboard advertisement for some SUV or pickup truck - I don't remember
    which or the manufacturer. It caught my attention with these three
    simple lines:

    Climb mountains
    Carry plywood
    Comb beaches (a play on beachcomber)

    It has stuck in my mind like a little poem. I present it to you all as a simple puzzle on what makes it coherent. I'll post my observation after
    a while. BTW, I assume that many or most of the regulars in these groups
    will catch on more quickly than I did.
    --
    Jeff Barnett

    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From HenHanna@HenHanna@dev.null to rec.puzzles,sci.lang,alt.usage.english on Sun May 25 22:25:25 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.lang

    On Sat, 24 May 2025 6:03:52 +0000, Jeff Barnett wrote:

    Many years ago, I would drive by the Los Angeles International airport
    on the my way to work. Near there, visible from the freeway, was a
    billboard advertisement for some SUV or pickup truck - I don't remember
    which or the manufacturer. It caught my attention with these three
    simple lines:

    Climb mountains
    Carry plywood
    Comb beaches (a play on beachcomber)

    It has stuck in my mind like a little poem. I present it to you all as a simple puzzle on what makes it coherent. I'll post my observation after
    a while. BTW, I assume that many or most of the regulars in these groups
    will catch on more quickly than I did.


    I present it to you all as a simple puzzle on what makes it coherent.


    is the 3rd line... like a punch line?


    was that billboard standing for a long time? a few years?
    for many years?

    __________________

    The one i remember most was .........

    https://www.obscuresound.com/wp-content/uploads/petting-zoo-music.jpg

    Was this all over the USA? even in Alaska or Hawaii? even in the UK
    and NZ?
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Jeff Barnett@jbb@notatt.com to alt.usage.english,sci.lang on Mon May 26 18:01:12 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.lang

    On 5/24/2025 12:03 AM, Jeff Barnett wrote:
    Many years ago, I would drive by the Los Angeles International airport
    on the my way to work. Near there, visible from the freeway, was a
    billboard advertisement for some SUV or pickup truck - I don't remember which or the manufacturer. It caught my attention with these three
    simple lines:

    -a-a Climb mountains
    -a-a Carry plywood
    -a-a Comb beaches (a play on beachcomber)

    It has stuck in my mind like a little poem. I present it to you all as a simple puzzle on what makes it coherent. I'll post my observation after
    a while. BTW, I assume that many or most of the regulars in these groups will catch on more quickly than I did.

    It seems that the Hen was the only one curious about this. It took me a
    while to become conscious of a phone trick: The place of articulation of
    the first phonemes of the first words of each of the three lines is
    velar; The place of articulation of the first phonemes of the second
    words of each of the three lines is bilabial.

    I think that when one says those three lines, the phone-likeness
    enforces a rhythm on the utterance, i.e., the time-length of each line
    is the same and the time allocated to each first word is the same. Some
    poetry is perceived as such because of rhythm, not rhyme. I'm wondering
    if the above is an example of phone patterns that naturally cause a
    rhythm in pronunciation. All I know is it worked that way for me many
    years ago.

    As to the Hen's question "is the 3rd line... like a punch line?" I'd say
    no. However it is somewhat contrived which suggested that the copywriter
    had to search for something somewhat relevant that followed the pattern.
    --
    Jeff Barnett

    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Peter Moylan@peter@pmoylan.org to alt.usage.english,sci.lang on Tue May 27 14:11:25 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.lang

    On 27/05/25 10:01, Jeff Barnett wrote:
    On 5/24/2025 12:03 AM, Jeff Barnett wrote:
    Many years ago, I would drive by the Los Angeles International airport
    on the my way to work. Near there, visible from the freeway, was a
    billboard advertisement for some SUV or pickup truck - I don't
    remember which or the manufacturer. It caught my attention with these
    three simple lines:

    Climb mountains
    Carry plywood
    Comb beaches (a play on beachcomber)

    It has stuck in my mind like a little poem. I present it to you all as
    a simple puzzle on what makes it coherent. I'll post my observation
    after a while. BTW, I assume that many or most of the regulars in
    these groups will catch on more quickly than I did.

    It seems that the Hen was the only one curious about this. It took me a
    while to become conscious of a phone trick: The place of articulation of
    the first phonemes of the first words of each of the three lines is
    velar; The place of articulation of the first phonemes of the second
    words of each of the three lines is bilabial.

    I did notice the pattern, but the pattern looked wrong to me. In my mind
    the natural sequence of the bilabials is m, b, p, so the slogan should
    have been something like

    Climb mountains
    Carry broomsticks
    Cuddle pigs.

    I'm still not sure about the sequence of vowels in the first words.
    --
    Peter Moylan peter@pmoylan.org http://www.pmoylan.org
    Newcastle, NSW
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Jeff Barnett@jbb@notatt.com to alt.usage.english,sci.lang on Mon May 26 22:51:49 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.lang

    On 5/26/2025 10:11 PM, Peter Moylan wrote:
    On 27/05/25 10:01, Jeff Barnett wrote:
    On 5/24/2025 12:03 AM, Jeff Barnett wrote:
    Many years ago, I would drive by the Los Angeles International airport
    on the my way to work. Near there, visible from the freeway, was a
    billboard advertisement for some SUV or pickup truck - I don't
    remember which or the manufacturer. It caught my attention with these
    three simple lines:

    -a-a-a Climb mountains
    -a-a-a Carry plywood
    -a-a-a Comb beaches (a play on beachcomber)

    It has stuck in my mind like a little poem. I present it to you all as
    a simple puzzle on what makes it coherent. I'll post my observation
    after a while. BTW, I assume that many or most of the regulars in
    these groups will catch on more quickly than I did.

    It seems that the Hen was the only one curious about this. It took me a
    while to become conscious of a phone trick: The place of articulation of
    the first phonemes of the first words of each of the three lines is
    velar; The place of articulation of the first phonemes of the second
    words of each of the three lines is bilabial.

    I did notice the pattern, but the pattern looked wrong to me. In my mind
    the natural sequence of the bilabials is m, b, p, so the slogan should
    have been something like

    -a-a-a Climb mountains
    -a-a-a Carry broomsticks
    -a-a-a Cuddle pigs.

    I'm still not sure about the sequence of vowels in the first words.
    The problem with your version as opposed to the original, is the former
    was trying to advertise vehicles. I'm curious: Why are you mention
    vowels in the first words? If the vowels did match in some way too, we
    would have some variation of rhyme but of first syllables along with rhythm.
    --
    Jeff Barnett

    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Peter Moylan@peter@pmoylan.org to alt.usage.english,sci.lang on Tue May 27 15:09:15 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.lang

    On 27/05/25 14:51, Jeff Barnett wrote:
    On 5/26/2025 10:11 PM, Peter Moylan wrote:
    On 27/05/25 10:01, Jeff Barnett wrote:
    On 5/24/2025 12:03 AM, Jeff Barnett wrote:
    Many years ago, I would drive by the Los Angeles International airport >>>> on the my way to work. Near there, visible from the freeway, was a
    billboard advertisement for some SUV or pickup truck - I don't
    remember which or the manufacturer. It caught my attention with these
    three simple lines:

    Climb mountains
    Carry plywood
    Comb beaches (a play on beachcomber)

    It has stuck in my mind like a little poem. I present it to you all as >>>> a simple puzzle on what makes it coherent. I'll post my observation
    after a while. BTW, I assume that many or most of the regulars in
    these groups will catch on more quickly than I did.

    It seems that the Hen was the only one curious about this. It took me a
    while to become conscious of a phone trick: The place of
    articulation of
    the first phonemes of the first words of each of the three lines is
    velar; The place of articulation of the first phonemes of the second
    words of each of the three lines is bilabial.

    I did notice the pattern, but the pattern looked wrong to me. In my mind
    the natural sequence of the bilabials is m, b, p, so the slogan should
    have been something like

    Climb mountains
    Carry broomsticks
    Cuddle pigs.

    I'm still not sure about the sequence of vowels in the first words.
    The problem with your version as opposed to the original, is the
    former was trying to advertise vehicles.

    I realise that, but I couldn't think of words that the advertising
    people would approve of.

    I'm curious: Why are you mention vowels in the first words? If the > vowels did match in some way too, we would have some variation of >
    rhyme but of first syllables along with rhythm.

    I wasn't trying for rhyme, but for some notion of "natural sequence".
    Perhsps it would sound better if the vowels moved stepwise from front to
    back, or from high to low, or something like that.
    --
    Peter Moylan peter@pmoylan.org http://www.pmoylan.org
    Newcastle, NSW

    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Bertel Lund Hansen@rundtosset@lundhansen.dk to alt.usage.english,sci.lang on Tue May 27 07:37:42 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.lang

    Jeff Barnett wrote:

    Many years ago, I would drive by the Los Angeles International airport
    on the my way to work. Near there, visible from the freeway, was a
    billboard advertisement for some SUV or pickup truck - I don't remember which or the manufacturer. It caught my attention with these three
    simple lines:

    Climb mountains
    Carry plywood
    Comb beaches (a play on beachcomber)

    It has stuck in my mind like a little poem. I present it to you all as a simple puzzle on what makes it coherent. I'll post my observation after
    a while. BTW, I assume that many or most of the regulars in these groups will catch on more quickly than I did.

    There are three important features that are at work. The c is repeated,
    the rhyme is the same in each line, and the vowels follow a
    well-established pattern - i a o. Think of "ding dang dong" and notice
    how impossible it sounds if you say "dong ding dang". I could add that
    Huey, Dewey, and Louie in Danish are called Rip, Rap and Rup.

    Snip snap snude (nonsenswords)
    Nu er den historie ude (Now that story is finished)

    That is one way to end a fairy tale or moral story in Danish.
    --
    Bertel
    Kolt, Denmark
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Richard Heathfield@rjh@cpax.org.uk to alt.usage.english,sci.lang on Tue May 27 06:55:03 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.lang

    On 27/05/2025 06:37, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:

    <snip>

    Think of "ding dang dong" and notice
    how impossible it sounds if you say "dong ding dang". I could add that
    Huey, Dewey, and Louie in Danish are called Rip, Rap and Rup.

    Snip snap snude

    For some reason the Carrollian Robert Scott comes to mind.

    Eins, Zwei! Eins, Zwei!
    Und durch und durch
    Sein vorpals Schwert
    zerschnifer-schnuck,
    Da blieb es todt! Er, Kopf in Hand,
    Gelaumfig zog zuruck.
    --
    Richard Heathfield
    Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
    "Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
    Sig line 4 vacant - apply within

    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From HenHanna@HenHanna@dev.null to rec.puzzles,sci.lang,alt.usage.english on Tue May 27 18:37:28 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.lang

    On Sun, 25 May 2025 22:25:21 +0000, HenHanna wrote:

    On Sat, 24 May 2025 6:03:52 +0000, Jeff Barnett wrote:

    Many years ago, I would drive by the Los Angeles International airport
    on the my way to work. Near there, visible from the freeway, was a
    billboard advertisement for some SUV or pickup truck - I don't remember
    which or the manufacturer. It caught my attention with these three
    simple lines:

    Climb mountains
    Carry plywood
    Comb beaches (a play on beachcomber)

    It has stuck in my mind like a little poem. I present it to you all as a
    simple puzzle on what makes it coherent. I'll post my observation after
    a while. BTW, I assume that many or most of the regulars in these groups
    will catch on more quickly than I did.


    I present it to you all as a simple puzzle on what makes it coherent.


    is the 3rd line... like a punch line?


    was that billboard standing for a long time? a few years?
    for many years?

    __________________

    The one i remember most was .........

    https://www.obscuresound.com/wp-content/uploads/petting-zoo-music.jpg

    Was this all over the USA? even in Alaska or Hawaii? even in the UK
    and NZ?




    __________________________________________________



    Climb mountains
    Carry plywood
    Comb beaches (a play on beachcomber)



    the 3rd line is like a punch line
    because it can mean
    1. what kids do and
    2. What (immature) men do

    https://www.carscoops.com/2024/04/toyota-fj-cruiser-driver-sent-flying-through-the-air-in-rollover-accident/


    3. see 3rd meaning below

    _________________________________

    The phrase "combing beach" can refer to two different activities
    depending on the context:

    For kids (and others), "beachcombing" is the activity of walking along
    the shore searching for interesting or valuable items such as seashells,
    rocks, driftwood, sea glass, fossils, and other natural or human-made
    objects washed up by the tide. It is a recreational and often
    family-friendly activity that involves collecting or observing these
    finds.



    For men with trucks, particularly in a construction or maintenance
    context, "combing the beach" can mean using trucks (like bulldozers,
    front loaders, or dump trucks) to clear debris, level sand, or perform
    cleanup and maintenance tasks on the beach.

    This involves physically moving or smoothing out sand and debris, often
    to prepare or maintain the beach environment.
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  • From dougstaples@dougstaples@gmx.com (LionelEdwards) to alt.usage.english,sci.lang on Tue May 27 21:03:39 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.lang

    On Tue, 27 May 2025 5:37:42 +0000, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:

    Jeff Barnett wrote:

    Many years ago, I would drive by the Los Angeles International airport
    on the my way to work. Near there, visible from the freeway, was a
    billboard advertisement for some SUV or pickup truck - I don't remember
    which or the manufacturer. It caught my attention with these three
    simple lines:

    Climb mountains
    Carry plywood
    Comb beaches (a play on beachcomber)

    It has stuck in my mind like a little poem. I present it to you all as a
    simple puzzle on what makes it coherent. I'll post my observation after
    a while. BTW, I assume that many or most of the regulars in these groups
    will catch on more quickly than I did.

    There are three important features that are at work. The c is repeated,
    the rhyme is the same in each line, and the vowels follow a
    well-established pattern - i a o. Think of "ding dang dong" and notice
    how impossible it sounds if you say "dong ding dang". I could add that
    Huey, Dewey, and Louie in Danish are called Rip, Rap and Rup.

    Somebody wearing a tee-shirt today inscribed

    Bre
    a
    The

    which has a pleasing ring to it.
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Tilde@invalide@invalid.invalid to alt.usage.english,sci.lang on Mon Jun 30 22:33:17 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.lang

    Jeff Barnett wrote:
    On 5/24/2025 12:03 AM, Jeff Barnett wrote:
    Many years ago, I would drive by the Los Angeles International airport
    on the my way to work. Near there, visible from the freeway, was a
    billboard advertisement for some SUV or pickup truck - I don't
    remember which or the manufacturer. It caught my attention with these
    three simple lines:

    -a-a-a Climb mountains
    -a-a-a Carry plywood
    -a-a-a Comb beaches (a play on beachcomber)

    It has stuck in my mind like a little poem. I present it to you all as
    a simple puzzle on what makes it coherent. I'll post my observation
    after a while. BTW, I assume that many or most of the regulars in
    these groups will catch on more quickly than I did.

    It seems that the Hen was the only one curious about this. It took me a while to become conscious of a phone trick: The place of articulation of
    the first phonemes of the first words of each of the three lines is
    velar; The place of articulation of the first phonemes of the second
    words of each of the three lines is bilabial.
    ...
    As to the Hen's question "is the 3rd line... like a punch line?" I'd say
    no. However it is somewhat contrived which suggested that the copywriter
    had to search for something somewhat relevant that followed the pattern.

    Bear in mind this is a billboard aimed at people in
    cars. The message has to be short because the car will
    not be able to view it for long (no doubt measured in
    seconds) and make a lasting impression. The third line
    is meant to be humorous which aids in the ad being
    remembered.
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2