Now I wasn’t feeling in any way ill-tempered while I was eating my Weetabix for breakfast but an hour or so ago, therefore it came as quite a surprise to me to find a strange, yet somewhat familiar, line of a song had come into my head: “Irascible, that’s what you are…” (sung to the tune of the Nat King Cole song “Unforgettable”)! Well, I almost laughed out loud – what a funny thing to pop into my mind!
Then I began to think about the word irascible – the sound is as unpleasant as its meaning. To me it suggests a rascal harassing with an eraser, but a metal file against skin kind of eraser rather than an innocuous rubber. There’s also a nasty snakish “hiss, hiss” in the middle and a crucible at the end, putting me in mind of witches and bubbling cauldrons, great heat, abominable trials and excruciating pain. All this, while I was eating my Weetabix!
Of course it’s been an “ear-worm” ever since… until I watched Nat King Cole on YouTube. If you like you can sing along to “Unforgettable” with the words to “Irascible” below:
. “Irascible”
Irascible, that’s what you are
Irritable though near or far
Like a song of ire that clings to me
How the thought of you does stings to me
Never before has there been less of a bore
Cantankerous in every way
And forever more, that’s how you’ll bray
That’s why, darling, it’s incredible
That someone so argumentative
Thinks that I am irascible too
And forever more, that’s how you’ll afffray
That’s why, darling, it’s incredible
That someone so irascible
Thinks that I am irascible too
Nat King Cole, Unforgettable – YouTube
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having or showing a tendency to be easily angered.“an irascible and difficult man”
synonyms: irritable, quick-tempered, short-tempered, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, hot-tempered, thin-skinned, snappy, snappish, tetchy, testy, touchy, edgy, crabby, waspish, dyspeptic;More
…….as sung by the great “NOT” King Cole!