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Poem original, or plagiarized? - Printable Version

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Poem original, or plagiarized? - Psurfer - 07-25-2006

I attended a big 50th birthday party recently, and the honoree gave himself the longest toast of the evening reciting a humorous poem he supposedly "wrote" on the occasion of turning 50.

"When I was 49...", it repeated in numerous verses, at one point proclaiming, "Nay. 49 I stay!"

I haven't had luck finding it searching Google (but reading the list of hits for the search "when I was 49" is interesting), or on the list of poems at a site called plagiarist.com, but I bet he cribbed it, so I'm not giving up so easily.

ps. if it helps identify it, it sounded like something written for Kelsey Grammer as "Frasier" -a show I've seen all of one time, but still the comparison sticks in my head...


Re: Poem original, or plagiarized? - $tevie - 07-25-2006

What is it about this guy that makes you assume he plagiarized the poem? Do you consider him incapable of it, or do you hate his guts or something?


Re: Poem original, or plagiarized? - iaJim - 07-25-2006

"When I was 59" yields many intersting results too. I did that search to see what was coming up in a few years...


Re: Poem original, or plagiarized? - papercup - 07-25-2006

Is he selling copies of his poetry? Who cares. Wedding vows are "plagiarized" and claimed as their own. Sue them.


Re: Poem original, or plagiarized? - Mike Johnson - 07-25-2006

Are you doing this because you want to take the guy down a couple pegs? Or was the poem simply that good?

If the latter, you should ask him for a copy, and permission to share it. I'd like to read it.

I was once falsely accused of plagiarism. It wasn't pleasant.


Re: Poem original, or plagiarized? - Seacrest - 07-25-2006

Well, the sentiment was "plagiarized" from Jack Benny.


Re: Poem original, or plagiarized? - $tevie - 07-25-2006

Jack Benny was 39.


Re: Poem original, or plagiarized? - Seacrest - 07-25-2006

[quote $tevie]Jack Benny was 39.
Still is.


Re: Poem original, or Copied? - Psurfer - 07-25-2006

Sorry for the late reply:

I'm not trying to "bust" anybody, just want to satisfy my curiosity. It would make a good-natured "gotcha", since he probably wouldn't own up to cribbing it if he did. I'm very skeptical that he actually took the time and effort to write it. The piece was pretty good, and fairly lengthy- it just didn't fit his M.O. And there seemed to be no personal references in it as far as I could tell, either.
Not out of the realm of possibility that it was original, just highly improbable, and I like to follow up on my hunches.

Maybe the word Plagiarize has brought on some of these defensive-sounding responses, like I'm accusing a good samaritan of jaywalking. Don't worry, this is all in good fun. Was hoping one of the better-read forum members might recognize the poem in question


Re: Poem original, or plagiarized? - Mike Johnson - 07-25-2006

Using the hoary "I'm 39" conceit does not qualify as plagiarism by even the loosest definition of the word.