Jonathon Wonathon Higgins McGee???

[joesmom]

I am hoping someone can help me-- My mom read my 2 sisters & me a book called "The Yellow Cat," when we were little, & now she'd like to get it for her grandsons. It starts out~~

" 'The strangest thing that ever could be,' said Jonathon Wonathon Higgins McGee, 'is a yellow cat with purple ears... but I'll NEVER see that.' "~~

I've checked Ebay, Amazon.com, library, etc. Does anyone else remember this book? And Mom & her sister were reminiscing about a series of books from their childhood (1950's) whose main characters were Snip Snap & Snur...

I would like to purchase these books for my mom as a birthday present. Thanks!!

[sohj]

*bump*

Saw this and it sounds familiar to me too. Thought I'd bump it and see if it strikes a chord in anyone else.

[Schrody]

You can find Snipp, Snapp, Snurr books on Ebay. I found some info on The Yellow Cat here:
http://loganberrybooks.com/solved-xyz.html

And then I found a copy that appears to be for sale here:
http://www.juliascollectibles.com/whitman.html

Scroll way down to find it. Hope that helps!

[ja mama]

Oh my goodness. I grew up reading the Snip, Snap, Snur books. I'd love to see one and look at it now from an adult's perspective, and relive the young impressions.

And joesmom, The Yellow Cat is only 8.00. What a great gift for your mom! Do it!

[joesmom]

Boy, this is an old post! Since I posted I found both The Yellow Cat & a Snipp Snapp & Snurr book on Ebay for my mom. Thanks for all the research, I am still looking at the links!

[sohj]

:LOL
Yeah, it is so old it has whiskers! But, I was poking around inthe back pages and saw it and wondered what books they were, too.

[joesmom]

I actually can't believe how long ago I posted that... only a month after I registered here!

[meanderthal]

Origin of the expression

Does anyone know the origin of the expression "snip, snap, snur"? (Something predating those children's books.) I remember my mom saying it when I was a small child in the 1940s--I believe when she was showing me how to cut with scissors. I have a vague recollection of an additional word which made it sound like "snip, snap, snur...vays-allure". I've since thought that I must be making up the last word, but a Google search came up with a Russian expression "Snip-snap-snur-re-purre-bezelyurre", of which the last word confirms my memory. I've asked a Ukranian what it means, but she didn't know. Do any of you remember it spoken that way, and possibly know how it was used or interpreted by English-language speakers? Thanks,

Lew

[Schrody]

I can't figure out what it means, but do a Google search for "snip snap snurre" and you'll get lots of links, including many to a Hans Christian Anderson story called "The Flax", which has a song that goes "snip snap snurre, basse lure, the song is ended."

I speak some Russian and don't believe any of those words are Russian, but would believe they are Dutch or German. I did get some hits for a Russian children's magazine called Snip Snap Snurre, but they could have borrowed the phrase from the Anderson tale.