I think it was 10th grade English (maybe 11th) where we learned that back in the days of Shakespeare, one of the spectacles people used to attend for entertainment was ‘apes on ponies.’ I think the idea was that you tied an ape to the top of a pony and watched it destroy the pony.
The phrasing of this always made us laugh. I have never seen another reference to ‘apes on ponies’ in my life.
BREAKING UPDATE — Apparently I finally figured out what to search for. The ‘sport’ is horse baiting or bear-baiting.
A Spanish nobleman of the time, who was taken to see a pony baited that had an ape tied to its back, expressed himself to the effect that “to see the animal kicking amongst the dogs, with the screaming of the ape, beholding the curs hanging from the ears and neck of the pony, is very laughable.” (from Encyclopædia Britannica 3, 1910)
People have always been awful.
Hah, “very laughable”. Great find.
Every once in a while I’ll remember one of the handful of things from early education that I’ve found no reference or validation of. For example, we were in AP English and Mrs. Maine (Mayne? Mane?) reading some story set in a colonial or post-colonial period. One of the characters was a silver polisher and other characters remarked about what that must have done to his nose. I asked then what the hell they were talking about, and no one had any idea.
Also, don’t forget the Ape of Reason.
That is demented. I seem to recall a comedy sketch that referred to ‘badger baiting’ and having to look up just what badger baiting was. If that was the case, whoever it was missed the boat on not upping the joke ante to ‘apes on ponies.’
Elaborate on Apes of Reason. I assume you are not referring to this: https://soundcloud.com/the-naked-apes-of-reason
I’ll add to the discussion the ‘Apes of Wrath.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N5FoJxjMtc
Multiple ‘Apes of Wrath.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRaXYF9Lglk
Good to find an expert who knows what he’s tanlkig about!
This info is the cat’s pajamas!
We could’ve done with that insight early on.
For shame, you have let all of us down.We should be suing you — not BP.You’re the one that forced them to drill, and now birds are drenched in oil. Who’s to blame? Chris Wondra.~ Sam
This seems like some features in Japanese video sites. Cannot add annotation. But BTW please let us upload videos without re-encoding in some way…I'll be leaving YouTube. The quality sucks and you say you're the best video site.
What was the Ape of Reason? I don’t remember it…
Was it supposed to be the Age of Reason?
I think you did a pencil sketch of a gorilla and called it the Ape of Reason, yes, ‘aping’ the Age of Reason.
I tell scary stories through the medium of fart. THHHHPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!
Those invites are so black and white, like there’s no other….oh nevermind.
A little on the nose?