Miss Fanny Bright / upsot / drifted band / sprawling lie

[zeppy]

what's the meaing of the underlines ? thanks all !

----------------------------------

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh.

A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fanny Bright, was seated by my side;
The horse was lean and lank, misfortune seemed his lot;
He got into a drifted bank and we got upsot

(Chorus)

A day or two ago, the story I must tell
I went out on the snow, and on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by, in a one-horse open sleigh
He laughed as there I sprawling lie but quickly drove away

 

[RonBee]

A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fanny Bright, was seated by my side;

I don't know who Miss Fanny Bright is. Perhaps that is a made up name.

The horse was lean and lank, misfortune seemed his lot;
He got into a drifted bank and we got upsot

Those big piles of snow by the side of the road are sometimes called snowbanks. The writer wanted a word to rhyme with lot, so he/she changed the word upset to upsot.

A day or two ago, the story I must tell
I went out on the snow, and on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by, in a one-horse open sleigh
He laughed as there I sprawling lie but quickly drove away

We would today say lay sprawling. I am not sure why the writer chose sprawling lie.

To sprawl is to lie on the ground (or floor) with one's arms and legs spread out.



(Say: "the underlined phrases")

 

[RonBee]

A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fanny Bright, was seated by my side;

I don't know who Miss Fanny Bright is. Perhaps that is a made up name.

The horse was lean and lank, misfortune seemed his lot;
He got into a drifted bank and we got upsot

Those big piles of snow by the side of the road are sometimes called snowbanks. The writer wanted a word to rhyme with lot, so he/she changed the word upset to upsot.

A day or two ago, the story I must tell
I went out on the snow, and on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by, in a one-horse open sleigh
He laughed as there I sprawling lie but quickly drove away

We would today say lay sprawling. I am not sure why the writer chose sprawling lie.

To sprawl is to lie on the ground (or floor) with one's arms and legs spread out.



(Say: "the underlined phrases")

 

[zeppy]

understood with many thanks !

 

[RonBee]

You're welcome!

 

[dscottvanmeter]

I believe the response to your question regarding the word 'UPSOT' to be incorrect.
In regards to the word 'UPSOT', I do not believe it to be a fictitious or humorous past participle of "upset" coined to rhyme with "lot".
If it was a fictitious word made up to rhyme with 'LOT' then why is it used in other 19th century poems.

1132. Ashcake by Thomas Nelson Page. Stedman, Edmund Clarence, ed. 1900. An American Anthology, 1787-1900

728. Little Breeches by John Hay. Stedman, Edmund Clarence, ed. 1900. An American Anthology, 1787-1900

Many seem to believe that 'UPSOT' means: turned over, however that doesn't fit contextually with the above poems and doesn't follow the origin of the word 'SOT' that the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines as: "a habitual drunkard".
Definition of sot - Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Thus, following the origin of the word, 'DRUNK or INTOXICATED' DOES fit contextually in Jingle Bells and every other reference I have been able to find utilizing the word 'UPSOT'.

Many people in 'Sleigh' or 'Carriage-Rides' also accompany the evening with wine or champagne.

In essence, after their sleigh got stuck in a drifting bank, they went out and got drunk..

Should anyone have any further insight or information to prove this wrong, I would gladly appreciate an email. dscottvanmeter@gmail.com