Sunday 22 March 2009

Questions you cannot answer




"Mummy, why are daffodils called daffodils when they really should be called Spring Trumpets?"


9 comments:

Troy said...

Well they would be very quiet trumpets (which is just as well as we have loads in our garden).
"A host of golden spring trumpets" doesn't sound the same does it?

Catharine Withenay said...

Ah Troy - so they're called daffodils so that Wordsworth could write poetry... Thanks for clearing that up. I'll try telling my son tomorrow!

calisnenath said...

They are Narcissi really, not daffodils obviously.... aren't you teaching him Latin yet??

cheshire wife said...

Probably because daffodils have been around longer than trumpets.

Maternal Tales said...

I think Spring Trumpets is much more descriptive and makes far more sense than daffodils - what a clever child you have! How is Zambia? My husband is there at the moment...

Working Mum said...

Yep, prefer Spring Trumpets. Will adopt the name in future.

Catharine Withenay said...

Nathalie: no, we were concentrating on Ancient Greek.

CW: very good point. Should we have named trumpets 'brass daffodils'?

Maternal Tales - welcome! Oooh! I'm so excited your husband is in Zambia - I could go on about it for ever. I'll restrain myself a little and just say it is the most beautiful country full of wonderful people. Although often a little frustrating!

WM: thank you! I might have to start a campaign with the Royal Horticultural Society, or whoever does these things, for a name change!

Carah Boden said...

Daffodil - Narcissus pseudonarcissus (i.e 'the false narcissus') - is also known (apparently) as Daffys, Daffy-down-dilly, Lent Lily, Lenten Lily, Easter Lily and, finally, tum-tum-de-dah TRUMPET Lily. You see, your son is a genius! (and has the clarity of a child's mind...)

Catharine Withenay said...

HotH: You are a star! And a fount of amazing knowledge!

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