Iliff-King phrasebook
definition
we are the cockyolly birds all red and green and gold song/verse fragment
Fragment of a song Evelyn suddenly burst into after it sat dormant and unsung in her memory for 40 years
Origin
The Cockyolly Bird is a 1919 play by Mabel Dearmer with music by Martin Shaw. The only associated song title found is The Bubble Song, for which lyrics have not been surfaced.
OED defines cockyolly bird as “An affectionate term or pet name for any small bird”
Collector
Evelyn – 1960s?
Evelyn King (Joyce Collard) – mother of Naomi, Francis, Clare & Jeremy
Notes
The 1973 Enid Blyton book The Bad Cockyolly Bird is absolved of any connection
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