tongue-twisting short story

November 12, 2008 3:05 PM

I'm looking for the title and author and anthology location (and url, if possible) of an amusing short story about a man who gives a cocktail party, and for whom the invited guests all have rhyming names. He spends the story answering the door, then introducing everyone to everyone else - which becomes an incredible tongue-twister. For example he finds Uma Thurman at the door,and is then forced to introduce her to assembled guests as "Uma, Irma; Irma, Emma; Emma, Alma.....etc, etc, etc." Does this ring a bell with anyone?
posted by eaglehound to Writing & Language (5 answers total)

The only bell it rings is "Uma, Oprah. Oprah, Uma."
posted by klangklangston at 3:21 PM on November 12, 2008 [1 favorite]

The only bell it rings is "Uma, Oprah. Oprah, Uma."

Which was a Letterman bit from the year he hosted the Oscars.
posted by snarkout at 3:31 PM on November 12, 2008

Best answer: It predates Uma.

It's "Yma Dream," by Thomas Meehan, originally published in The New Yorker in 1962.

I'm pretty sure it's in the New Yorker humor anthology.

You can also find it performed by Anne Bancroft or Christine Baranski.
posted by neroli at 3:44 PM on November 12, 2008

Response by poster: Thank you Neroli ! That's it! The Baranski delivery is hilarious. I haven't listened to the Bancroft one yet. Thanks again.
posted by eaglehound at 4:42 PM on November 12, 2008

Coincidentally, Yma died last week.
posted by spamguy at 7:08 AM on November 13, 2008