The Lesser-Spotted Womble
It took me years, genuinely YEARS, of actively wondering about it before I finally realised why the Wombles' theme tune says:

"Underground, overground, wombling free - the wombles of Wimbledon: common are we!"

WHY does it say they're common? They're obviously very very uncommon! A species found only in one small area of one city in one country has to be pretty endangered, surely?




The discovery of the truth was both illuminating and deeply anticlimactic.
( Seventh is somewhat subdued, Thu 13 Oct 2011, 13:05, 10 replies)

The song does emply deceptive enunciation - I similarly was confused.
I wasn't quite as concerned about the missive as you appear to be, however.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Thu 13 Oct 2011, 13:08, closed)

A *click*
for your deceptive use of punctuation and the fact that I also misinterpreted the song at first (but figured it out quicker than you, thus boosting my ego).
(ConanTroutman thought we would free the vulture, Thu 13 Oct 2011, 13:21, closed)

Having never heard of Wombles.
I still feel pretty dumb for having not understood that at first. Not having understood it until I read this.^
(CactusZack Shaved his coin purse on, Thu 13 Oct 2011, 20:53, closed)

the borribles
wiped them out
(andythepieman Is surfing the waves of indifference on, Thu 13 Oct 2011, 14:10, closed)

I remained ignorant of the true meaning of the words
on account of us having one of the Wombles .45s that ran along the lines of "We've got Wombles everywhere, North South East and West." and went on to speak of the worldwide Womble diaspora.

Clearly, Wombles were very common indeed. So you could have knocked me over with a feather when I twigged that they were going on about Wimbledon Common.
(richardm, Thu 13 Oct 2011, 15:58, closed)

ahh!
Sadly, I had no such access to such further information. So maybe they aren't the endangered species I'd been led to believe!

The plot thickens...
( Seventh is somewhat subdued, Fri 14 Oct 2011, 14:42, closed)

Picking up rubbish and using it to furnish your home is really rather common. In fact it's beneath common, it's positivley pikey.
( Draconacticus Reject shampoo. Demand real poo!, Thu 13 Oct 2011, 23:27, closed)

You make a very good point
Perhaps I've been listening to it in entirely the wrong context all these years.
( Seventh is somewhat subdued, Fri 14 Oct 2011, 14:43, closed)

Personally, given the fact that they live on wimbledon common, i would say it's more likely you have put the colon in the wrong place and it should read "the wombles of "wimbledon common" are we".

just saying like, might be an option......
(Razielskorp, Fri 14 Oct 2011, 15:12, closed)

Gosh!
*amazed*
( Seventh is somewhat subdued, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 8:52, closed)