Posted by Mark A. Mandel on May 15, 19100 at 10:15:09:

In Reply to: Cymbeline: chimney sweepers posted by Dave Appleby on February 13, 19100 at 16:40:34:

: Re the line in Cymbeline:
: Golden lads and girls all must
: As chimney sweepers come to dust

: Can anyone confirm the suggestion that chimney sweepers were a nickname for dandelions (because of the similarity with the brush) and that therefore they "come to dust" when you blow at them?

I have recently seen this cited as support for the "Stratfordian" argument, i.e., for the case that Shakespeare's work really was written by William Shakespeare rather than any of the other people it's been attributed to.
The argument is based in the attested regional (Kent? my sense of geography is absolutely rotten) use of "golden lads" and "chimney sweepers" for these two stages of a dandelion, blossom and seed.
It was, hmm, in the last six to ten months in a glossy magazine; American Libraries? Harpers? Atlantic??
The argument was not being originated there, but being quoted from one of the scholars active in the debate.
Sorry I can't be any more specific.

-- Mark A. Mandel

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