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Song Cycle by Janet Oates (b. 1970) 

A gallery of ne’er-do-wells in 5 portraits
Score: Janet Oates (external link)

1. A most irksome hobbadehoy
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
You scobberlotching raggabrash, stampcrabbing scallywag, you cream-faced
loon. You rank spoony ninnyhammer, chuckle-headed sponger, you skin-wasting
cumberworld, you cow-handed whiffle-whaffle, dew-beating dalcop, galumphing
quisby, loiter-sacking lubberwort.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

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This unreliable young man is a large, clumsy chap who does little work, has little intelligence, and does not pay his own way through life.
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

2. A woman of less than pleasing countenance
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
Furfuraceous fustylugs.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

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Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

3. A questionable lady
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
Pediculous draggle-draggle

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Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

4. A wandought, no doubt.
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
A drate-poking gnashgab mumblecrust, crambazzled stingbum, am I?
A seek-sorrowful smelfungus, am I?
Boboly-nobolyiferous whoreson zed (bespawling gobermouch) am I?
Gabber… minikin….

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  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

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An aging hypochondriac, with negativity emanating from every oozing pore.
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

5. An unnecessary letter of a gentleman
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
Why, he’s a fribbling sneaksby! He’s a bed-swerving fop-doddle! I concur, such a
baffle-gabbing word-grubbing snout band! My, what a rake-fire, a roiderbanks, a
tip-taking gillie-wet-foot! A clack-box: all hat and no cattle!

Text Authorship:

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A gentleman of no honour, whose words are more copious than his coins, and whose thoughts are emptier than his purse, but who believes himself important and a charmer.
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
Total word count: 85