Client Axiom | Vol 283
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Meet The Axiom®’s Guest Editor: Steve Dryer
I’m Steve Dryer, Annex Wealth Management’s Managing Director of Operations.
I believe I have one of the most engaging and interesting roles in all of Annex. I get to work with the teams that deliver our client service, financial planning, estate planning, tax planning, investment management, and a team responsible for data, analytics, and large projects. The teams I have the privilege to work with are made up of some of the most passionate, dedicated, and knowledgeable professionals I’ve been associated with throughout my 30+ year career in financial services. To me, that’s the power of Annex – the team of experts that serve in so many different ways, both seen and unseen. I hope the next time you visit one of our offices you can meet and appreciate some of the exceptional employees here at Annex. I know they’ll enjoy meeting you.
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A middling jobs report showed lower unemployment, but inflation concerns continue. How quickly will the Fed complete its taper? Annex Wealth Management’s Dave Spano and Derek Felske discuss.
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Have you ever heard a Christmas song and stopped to go – what was that?
Discover the meaning behind some of those mysterious Christmas lyrics.
For some of us, we finally feel like it’s the right time to turn on the Christmas music. For others, it’s already been on for a month, and it still doesn’t seem like the Christmas season is long enough! Whether its traditional carols that have been sung since the Middle Ages like “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen”[1], or songs by iconic artists like Chuck Berry’s “Run, Run Rudolph”, there’s just something unique about these tunes that make them so…Christmas-y.
The dictionary defines the word Carol as “a song, especially of joy.”[2] Well, the dictionary is sure right, because it’s hard not to feel joy with the cheerful and celebratory tunes floating through the air. We lift our voices whether in a church or out on the street caroling on the corner, and unless you run into Scrooge, you’re sure to bring joy.
As Christmas carols and songs have endured throughout the years, we gladly sing the words that we know, and mumble through the ones that we don’t. As the holiday spirit really starts to get underway, we wanted to help you better understand a few of those misunderstood lyrics that have persisted in some our most classic holiday tunes.
“Here We Come A-wassailing”
A season favorite for it’s cheery beat and easy to sing tune, the title of the song itself holds a word that is unfamiliar to most modern English speakers. Wassail? It kind of sounds like a fancy warm drink you might have on a cold snowy night. And really, that concept is not too far off. The word “wassail” means “a toast to wish good health.” Lots of toasts to be had in that song, that’s for sure! The very original word came from the Old Norse ves heill, meaning “to be healthy”.[3] If you say it out loud, you can kind of hear where the more modern version came from. The concept of caroling, or wassailing, was popularized in the 19th century when groups of people would sing for passer-by, who would traditionally thank them for their songs with drinks or mince pies.[4] Do Christmas cookies count these days?
“Deck the Halls”
This is a fun one. At the end of the first verse, sandwiched between fa la las, is the line “troll the ancient Yuletide carol.” Unfortunately, the word “troll” doesn’t mean a monster living under a bridge in this context.[5] An old English term, here troll means “to sing in a full voice”, so sing really loudly the Yuletide carol. And the word Yuletide, which does appear in more than just this song, also has roots in Old Norse, with the word jol used to signify the coming of the winter season and feast. After Christianity become more widespread, the term was again taken by the English and transformed into geol, pronounced closely to “yule”.[6] So all together, this one line means “sing loudly the winter feast/Christmas joyous song”. Doesn’t quite roll of the tongue as well.
“Away in the Manger”
In this Christmas classic, the lyric goes “the cattle are lowing, the baby awakes.” Unless you’re a farmer, you’ve probably never used the word, except for when singing this song during your 3rd grade Christmas concert back in school. So, what is it that the cattle are actually doing? Are they glum and moody? Or maybe they’re just laying down, like low to the ground. Given that according to the lyrics, the baby awakes after the cattle low, so we can easily believe that “lowing” in fact just means mooing.[7]
“You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch”
Sure to bring out giggles and “ewww!” from the backseat as this one plays on the radio, this song describes in great detail a Christmas character we love to hate – until his heart grows, that is. The joy of Christmas turns the Grinch from a crank into a softy, something we might be able to relate to – the season just does that to us! But one thing that we don’t quite comprehend with this song about the Grinch is this line right here: “you’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch, you really are a heel.” Are they calling the grinch a foot? It kind of goes with the theme of the song about how gross he is. We wouldn’t touch that with a ten-foot pole either. That, in fact, is not what the song meant though. The phrase “heel” is an old term describing a “selfish or bad man”.[8] See, that makes way more sense. But it’s also too many syllables to fit in the lyrics, so we understand.
“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”
Filled with joyous pictures of Christmas decorations, gifts under the tree, and a list of toy ideas for the kiddies, we happily sing along until we find Barney asking for something strange in this line: “a pair of hopalong boots and a pistol that shoots, is the wish of Barney and Ben.” Barney is living in the past with his wish. And no, these aren’t special boots that have springs in them for hopping, though they’ve made boots like that as toys – we owned some. The fictional cowboy hero Hopalong Cassidy was featured in books, comics, and a bunch of movies in the 1940s and ‘50s and apparently Barney wanted to be just like him.[9] The song was written in 1951, Hopalong’s prime.[10] Though kids could relate when the song first came out, the reference is most likely lost on modern generations – until now!
So, there you have it. The mystery of a few classic Christmas songs has been solved. You can now carol in confidence with the knowledge of what you’re singing!
Have an idea you’d like us to write about, or a story to share? Send us an email at cl************@*********th.com.
[1] https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/occasions/christmas/carol-history-origins/
[2] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/carol
[3] https://www.dictionary.com/e/s/christmas-carols/?itm_source=parsely-api#wassail
[4] https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/occasions/christmas/carol-history-origins/y
[5] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/troll
[6] https://www.dictionary.com/e/s/christmas-carols/?itm_source=parsely-api#yuletide
[7] https://www.dictionary.com/e/s/christmas-carols/?itm_source=parsely-api#low
[8] https://www.dictionary.com/e/s/christmas-carols/?itm_source=parsely-api#heel
[9] https://www.dictionary.com/e/s/christmas-carols/?itm_source=parsely-api#hopalong-boots
[10] https://www.rhino.com/aod/song-of-the-day-its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-christmas-michael-buble
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A recent study shows that due to the pandemic our attitudes about saving and being wealthy have changed. Over the course of the next several weeks, we’re going to ask our readers some questions about what that means.
Poll | Week 3: Which number best describes what you think it takes to be wealthy?
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Providing educational opportunities for our clients is something we pride ourselves on.
We have a library of presentations just for you.
At Annex, education is an important part of who we are and what we do for you. We understand that certain milestones and situations in life, whether financial or otherwise, can be difficult to navigate without the proper guidance and information. That’s why we’ve put together our most popular and crucial education topics for you to access, such as Social Security and Medicare Basics, at any time on the Client Center of our website.
While we do also offer live Annex Universities throughout the course of the year that cover these same topics and are interactive with our teams, we also know that life can be busy. Through the Client Center, you can access the same important information at any time.
We encourage you to check out our list of presentations. Simply head over to the Client Center and click on Client Education Series Videos to begin learning more. And as always, if you have any questions regarding your unique situation or need more clarification, please reach out to your Wealth Manager to get any questions answered.
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This week’s Ask Annex comes from Justine, who asks:
“How can I find out how efficient a charity is with my donations? In other words, how much goes to the actual cause and how much goes to overhead or elsewhere? “
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We asked Annex Wealth Management’s Tom Berkholtz, CFP®️:
An important part of intelligent giving is determining what percentage of your donation goes directly to the cause. A website called Charity Navigator can help with this type of due diligence. It’s typically best to concentrate your giving to a small number of well-run charities that align with your values.
Lastly, don’t hesitate to tell the charity about your long-term giving plans. A partnership can be formed moving forward, which could be of great benefit to both of you. There are a variety of Financial & Tax planning strategies when it comes to charitable giving, so consult your financial advisor to determine the most efficient way to give back.
– Tom Berkholtz, CFP®️ | Financial Planning Specialist
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KNOW THE DIFFERENCE MINUTE:
Strategic Petroleum Reserve Used To Combat Gas Prices
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE MINUTE:
Gift Cards Are The True MVP This Holiday
ANNEX RADIO
Ramifications of Inheriting Money
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Annex Wealth Management has always been committed to client growth and education. Planning and saving can be demanding. We’ve found that when our clients master key concepts, it often enhances working together to reach their goals. Because these are not sales presentations, our clients benefit from a truly informative experience.
Check back soon for new events!Missed one of our events? Watch it HERE.
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