(PLEASE NOTE: I have neither gotten permission to use the song or the want ads quoted here. Nor are the ads quoted intended to be advertisements; I have not taken out all the links yet! Apologies.)
Types of Language:
* Want-ads
* Descriptions of apartments
* Conversations (about price, etc.)
Lesson Outline
SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITIES
BASIC VOCABULARY for Song (images not available in this copy of the lesson)
"trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let"
trailers, rooms:
for sale
for rent
for let
to let
"no phone, no pool, no pets"
no: phone, pool, pets, cigarettes (how is the last different in the song?)
"two hours of pushin' broom buys an eight by
twelve four-bit room"
eight-by-twelve
(other dimensions below)
four-bit (dates the song; four-bits = fifty cents in the U.S.; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bit_(money))
"Third boxcar, midnight train"
boxcar
train
"I'm a man of means by no means"
man of means
by no means
"I don't pay no union dues"
pay: dues; union dues
"I
know every handout in every town
and every lock that ain't locked
when no one's around"
handout
every lock: be locked, locked, unlocked
LYRICS
Roger Miller: "King of the Road"
Trailer for sale or rent
Rooms to let...fifty cents.
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah, but..two hours of pushin'*
broom+
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room++
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road.
Third boxcar, midnight train+++
Destination...Bangor, Maine.
Old worn out clothes and shoes,
I don't pay no union dues,**
I smoke old stogies^ I have found
Short, but not too big around
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road.
I know every engineer on every train
All of their children, and all of their names
And every handout in every town
And every lock that ain't locked***
When no one's around.
I sing,
Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let, fifty cents++
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no**/*** cigarettes
Ah, but, two hours of pushin' broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road.
(from http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/miller-roger/king-of-the-road-1164.html;
Roger Miller (1965)
<i>All Time Greatest Hits: Roger Miller </i>
"King of the Road"
Available at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/All-Time-Greatest-Hits-Miller/dp/B00008WI8H/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1204397789&sr=8-1
)
____________
NOTES:
History of the Era
+ two hours of pushing brooms, earns, if you read the rest of the lyrics, about
50 cents; thus, minimum wage must have been around 25 cents/hour (and it can be
inferred that the events in Miller's song about a hobo's everyday life are
probably set in around 1938, although the song itself was recorded in 1965; see
The U.S. Department of Labor's "History of Federal Minimum Wage Rates
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, 1938 - 2007"
http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/chart.htm ; see also
http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth484/minwage.html )
++ four-bit, fifty cents: a bit in the U.S. is equal to 12 1/2 cents; we do not
use this expression much today (the only time I used it growing up was in a
Cheer, "Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar . . . ") (Did 30
cents in 1950 buy what $2.00 would today; my father says the flophouses were 50
cents just around or after WW2--but he would not stay in those)
50 cents in around 1940 would have equalled almost
$7.50 today;
see "The People History," the 1940's;
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1940s.html
(you can view 1940's advertisements for homes at
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/40s-homes.html )
?See also:
www.worldwar2exraf.co.uk/Online%20Museum/Museum%20Docs/Cost%20of%20living%
this is BLOCKED at our library; can't verify if it is useful!
"Below are listed some of the items that people might buy during world war 2 showing the average cost of each item (prices may vary depending on where they ...)"
+++ boxcar See Sarah Mathers White (August, 2001;
retrieved online 2008), I"n Search of the
American Hobo: Hobohemia: Riding The Rails"
University of Virginia M.A. Thesis
" http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA01/white/hobo/ridingtherails.html
NOTES: Dialect and Vocabulary
* pushin' broom: spoken dialect; = 'pushing [a]
broom' (this phrase refers to the work the singer is doing: pushing a broom, or
'sweeping')
** I don't pay no union dues: ='I don't pay any union dues;' double negatives
(don't, no) are used in English slang but not in Standard English.
*** every door that ain't locked: spoken dialect ='is
not locked;' ('ain't' is slang for 'is not,' 'are
not,' and 'am not')
**/*** I ain't got no cigarettes: again, spoken
dialect, with both 'ain't and a double negative (ain't, no)
^ stogies ='cigars'
VOCABULARY for activity
let sublet (verbs) lease (verb and noun)
pay rent, mortgage
deposit, security deposit
(in the first room I rented, there was only a key deposit, but security
deposits were already in vogue in apartments; a $100 deposit was a standard
deposit and generally was less than or equal to one month's rent; today a
deposit may equal one month's rent plus sometimes additional damage deposits)
dimensions: X by Y
square feet
unit, apartment, condominium, efficiency, flat, townhouse
rooms: bedroom, bathroom or bath (full-bath, half-bath), living room, kitchen
(full kitchen), porch (front porch, rear porch or back porch)
yard (shared or private), courtyard
pets, cats, dogs approved
furnished, unfurnished
built-in
custom, custom-built: molding, woodwork
hardwood floor
gated
amenities, utilities: included
(amenities might include: a pool, hot tub, or club house; cable tv; high-speed internet; also central air, or central heat
& air; a dishwasher, microwave, or other appliances; maid service )
(utilities migth include: heat, hot water, water,
gas, electric, cable)
marble
granite
(ceramic) tile, tiled
GRAMMAR
for let, to let (preposition + verb ; infinitive)
for sublet
to sublet
for rent (BUT NOT: to rent)
for lease
to lease
for sale
to sell
for trade
to trade
we have also: for free (BUT NOT: to free; note that 'free' here is an
adjective)
man of means (= man with means, man who has means to live "man of
substance" "Woman of substance" "Man of War" also
"Man of Steel" Man of Mystery" "Lady of Sorrows"
"Man of Sorrows" "Cat o' nine tails")
King of the . . . : King of the Road (king who rules the road; but both
expressions imply possession)
by no means (by what means? by some means? by/through expressions of
instrument; means 'how,' with what instrument or means)
prepositions of location
in town, in the town, in the city (but not in city), in Florida, in New York City
(but not in the Florida)
(also near town, near shopping, etc.)
"every boxcar on every train" on a train, ride on a train (on top of
or in side, 'onboard'), in a train, ride in a train (inside only), on board
('aboard'); on a bus, on a plane (inside only; no one rides on top of these, of
course, though a few folks have tried to hitch rides--or stowaway--in the
'wheel wells' of planes--and have thus met their doom)
(For more information on stowing away in the wheel wells of planes, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stowaway; see also feitpingvin
(2007; retrieved online 2008), "how *not* to travel by air . . . "
http://thetravellingpenguin.blogspot.com/2007/02/how-not-to-travel-by-air.html
and "Malaysia orders probe into Singapore plane stowaway" http://www.haaba.com/tags/sia?q=node/28947)
WANT ADS for activity (need permissions to reproduce)
from http://realestate.charleston.net/properties/search/results.php?qAction=search&page=1&pagesize=25&view=1&qTerms=rent&qSortBy=Price&qRegion=&qMinPrice=&qMaxPrice=&propertyType%5B0%5D=Share+Rental%2FRooms+for+Rent&propertyType%5B2%5D=Furnished+Apartments&qBedrooms=&qBathrooms=&x=24&y=12
Furnished Apartment
The Willows N. Area effcys Incl
full kitchens, cable TV, Maid Service. $185/wk & up.
1824 Remount Rd 745-0202....
* *
Furnished Apartment
N. Chas nr Nrthwds Mall. 1br apt., furn'd, $170/wk, $170 dep. Elec,
water, laundry. Call Bill 797-5483 ( 813-1018)
* *
Furnished Apartment
N. Area Aster St. & Other Locations. $115/per wk. & Up Nice 1-2BR
brick, furn'd incl utils, linens/maid service DYSON & Assoc. 744-5462
* *
from
http://www.move.com/apartments_virginia/charlottesville.aspx?s_kwcid=TC-2077--C-11858244011&ovmtc=content&ovadid=11858244011
$675-$850
Bed: 2-3Bath: 1-1.5
Sq Feet: 700 - 950
Berkshire Apartments
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA 22901
cool a/c
cats approved
(866) 386-1027
* *
$454-$860
Bed: 1-4Bath: 1-4
Sq Feet: 630 - 1,450
Eagles Landing Apartments
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA 22903
move in special
high speed internet
(866) 845-7541
* *
$850-$1,085
Bed: 1-3Bath: 1-2
Sq Feet: 754 - 1,220
Lakeside Apartments
Charlottesville, VA 22902
pets approved
amazing views
(866)602-3871
* *
$779-$1,029
Bed: 1-3Bath: 1-2
Sq Feet: 419 - 1,155
Westgate Apartments
Charlottesville, VA 22901
pets approved
hot tub available
(866)752-0153
from
http://classifieds.bostonphoenix.com/index.cfm?searchOnlineCategoryID=65&searchOnlineSectionID=654
$ 400 PER MONTH FOUR BEDROO I have a furnished or unfurnished rental.
Utilities included. Internet and cable available. Access to a free gym and pool. Close to
shopping. Female Preferred. Please contact if interested. Please call us
201-845-7300
* *
SOMERVILLE, TUFTS AREA Packard ave for rent a Quiet 3
bedroom apt gorgeous hardwood floor's all 2 large porches, 1 large open
kitchen, one large open living room, and a nice shared yard, W/D and driveway
parking also rent is $1900.00 available June 1st no utilities, no pets all
utilities run on natural gas (hot water, range, heat) all that's needed is last
month's rent to sign a lease please e-mail me at iou-1@msn.com
* *
$ 1500 PER MONTH THREE BEDR spacious 6 room 3 bedroom 1 and a half baths,brand new kitchen,all new
whirlpool appliances including refrigerator,builtin microwave,dishwasher,and stove.ceramic
tile bath,central air,brand
new 200 amp electric service.front rear porches.hardwood floors throughout.parking.walk
to ashmont/peabody square
or shawmut. Please call us 201-845-7300
* *
BEACON HILL RENOVATION!!!!! A newly renovation condo located in Beacon Hill on
a private gated way. This condo is located on the 2nd floor of a sunny
building. New Kitchen, New Full Bathroom. Full Bedroom with
walk-in closet. Full kitchen has stainless steel appliances, granite
countertops, imported tile floor. Full bathroom with marble
vanity and tiled shower. Crown Molding and custom woodwork all
throughout the unit. The unit is approx. 400 sq ft. with full kitchen, full
bath, bedroom, and living room. Courtyard exclusive for
community members, gated security. Walking distance to T stops,
Hospitals, Cambridge and Charles Street. Will arrange a
showing at any time.
* *
MORE VOCABULARY for description of ideal rental unit (apartment, condominium,
vacation rental, camper
ceiling fan
blinds
vaulted ceiling
skylight
washer-dryer hookup
loft
sun room
balcony
sound-proof walls
covered parking
enclosed garage
panoramic
view Questions to Guide Discussion
LINKS for further discussion (with optional guidelines)
1. The American Hobo
* Wikipedia,
"Flophouse" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flophouse
* Wikipedia,
"Hobo" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobos
* Errol Lincoln Uys,
"Riding the Rails" (in A Writer's Home.....) http://www.erroluys.com/frontpage.htm (about Uys's book--by Uys.)
2. Comparison of Housing Costs and Wages: 1938-1940 and Today
Seedy transient hotel today: $175/month & up or $10.00-20.00/night
* History of Federal Minimum Wage Rates Under the Fair Labor Standards Act,
1938 - 2007" (retieved online 2008)
http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/chart.htm
* "The People History," the 1940's (retrieved online 2008)
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1940s.html
(you can view 1940's advertisements for homes at
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/40s-homes.html )
* Michael Dominic (2001) Sunshine Hotel http://www.sunshine-hotel.com/
>(I have not seen this; I still need
to rent the video and review it; see
http://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-Hotel-Nathan-Smith-III/dp/0972280502)
Discussion Guide (note: this requires a little math! to compute the cost of housing--then & now--in hourly labor might even require a calculator!
Questions for Further Discussion
Some Vocabulary & Grammar
(Copyright 1985, 2008, by C. E. Whitehead; revised 1996; 1999; 2008.)