In an email from my friend Cyrus:
Hey Joe! Attached are the lyrics for the song that traditionally
gets sung tonight. Are you familiar with them? I understand
that they are by the a Scot, Robert Burns. In the first
paragraph, he asks rhetorically if old friends and times should
be forgotten. The answer, in the second paragraph, is no
way!–we’re going to drink a toast and remember those who are no
longer nearby.
AULD LANG SYNE
Words adapated from a traditional song
by Rabbie Burns (1759-96)
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp ,
And surely I’ll be mine,
And we’ll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
We twa hae run about the braes ,
And pou’d the gowans fine,
But we’ve wander’d monie a weary fit ,
Sin auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl’t in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine ,
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
Sin auld lang syne.
And there’s a hand my trusty fiere ,
And gie’s a hand o thine,
And we’ll tak a right guid-willie waught ,
For auld lang syne.
Meanings
auld lang syne (times gone by)
be (pay for)
braes (hills)
braid (broad)
burn (stream)
dine (dinner time)
fiere (friend)
fit (foot)
gowans (daisies)
guid-willie waught (goodwill drink)
monie (many)
morning sun (noon)
paidl’t (paddled)
pint-stowp (pint tankard)
pou’d (pulled)
twa (two)
The problem was that once together, Silly Putty doesn’t like to come apart, and none of us had any idea of how to deal with this effect. We tried everything: very strong people (didn’t work), scissors (stabbing worked, slicing didn’t), 28-gauge steel wire (broke), 22-gauge steel wire (broke), 16-gauge steel wire (too thick), and twisting and breaking (worked well for “smaller” pieces — under five pounds, that is.)
