Other people's youths

[mme_hardy]

 In the early twentieth century, schools had "fight songs", which the band played and the crowd sang to encourage the [insert an all-American sport here, none of your funny furrin soccer] team.   I don't know if colleges still have and play fight songs, because you couldn't get me to a college [insert blahblah sport] here match at gunpoint.

My high school had a fight song, too; somebody took Illinois Loyalty, sandpapered out "Illinois", and inserted the high school name instead. "Illinois Loyalty", I read, dates to 1906, which would explain the slang.

We'll back you to stand 'gainst the best in the land,

For we know you have sand, Illinois, Rah! Rah!

So crack out that ball, Illinois,

We're backing you all, Illinois,

Our team is our fame protector,

On! boys, for we expect a
victory from you, Illinois!

I'm guessing "sand" is a finer quality of "grit", which is another piece of slang you don't hear much any more.  Note the rhyme of "protector" and "expect a".  As I frequently remind my husband, in Midwestern all vowels are schwas unless declared otherwise.  I was taught in school that "pin" and "pen" are homonyms.  I can still remember the tune and the lyrics, which must mean that the song was performed at the (crosses self and shudders) mandatory pep rallies.   On the other hand, I am pretty sure I never sang the alma mater, which was also printed in our student rules and regulations books.  Wikipedia tells me the lyrics are "Dear [high school], stately thy grace, all hail. Tribute we bring to thee as we sing, all hail. Mem'ries float by as through the halls we trail. Cherished with pride, oh school of our life, all hail. Cherished with pride, O school of our life, all hail."   Eminently forgettable, in that high-minded meaningless way.
 

My college's alma mater had the chorus of "And the granite of New Hampshire in their muscles and their brains", which was great fun to belt out with an ironic sneer.  Except in Glee Club performances at alumni fund-raisers, where I belted it  out straight-faced.

Comments

[rinue]

"Grit" is making a big comeback, particularly among American secular conservatives interested in education reform. In other words, not religious conservatives angling for less science, more God, but the "stop coddling our children with this self esteem business; they should walk 50 miles in the snow" sort of conservatism. Back-to-basics rote learning stuff. "Grit" is being used as a shorthand.

I suspect it, rather than "determination," caught on because of True Grit and because it sounds old-timey, and the old-timeyness is a key element of "morally good" rather than simply useful.