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Practice

Three Wise Men of Gotham

Three wise men of Gotham,
They went to sea in a boat,
And if the boat had been stronger,
My song would've been longer.

The word "Gotham" is a synonym for New York City.

The term was first used by the Hudson River writer Washington Irving, who first made fun of New Yorkers in 1807 when he called them "Gothamites" or people who were know-it-alls.

The term "Gotham" originally comes from England.

In the 13th century, King John decided he wanted to build a grand hunting lodge in the village of Gotham.

The villagers of Gotham, however, did not want King John to come to their village because they would have to pay higher taxes. So they came up with a clever plan.

When the king sent his men into Gotham, to find the right land, the villagers were running wildly in circles and acting completely crazy.

The kings men told the king that Gotham was full of crazy people, so the King decided to build his lodge somewhere else. The "wise fools" of Gotham had tricked the King.

As a result, Gotham became known as the home of such "wise fools." The villagers had a "method in their madness."

Etymology from
Word Detective, Evan Morris