Ringoisms

The word "Ringoism" is a word the Beatles purely made up themselves. Ringo would make slight malapropisms, though according to McCartney, his were different, very wonderful and lyrical. One of his most notable Ringoisms is "Hard Day's Night".

According to Lennon in a 1980 interview with Playboy magazine: "I was going home in the car and Dick Lester [director of the movie] suggested the title, 'Hard Day's Night' from something Ringo had said. I had used it in 'In His Own Write', but it was an off-the-cuff remark by Ringo. You know, one of those malapropisms. A Ringo-ism, where he said it not to be funny... just said it. So Dick Lester said, 'We are going to use that title.'"

In a 1994 interview for The Beatles Anthology, however, McCartney disagreed with Lennon's recollections, basically stating that it was The Beatles, and not Lester, who had come up with the idea of using Starr's verbal misstep: "The title was Ringo's. We'd almost finished making the film, and this fun bit arrived that we'd not known about before, which was naming the film. So we were sitting around at Twickenham studios having a little brain-storming session... and we said, 'Well, there was something Ringo said the other day.' Ringo would do these little malapropisms, he would say things slightly wrong, like people do, but his were always wonderful, very lyrical... they were sort of magic even though he was just getting it wrong. And he said after a concert, 'Phew, it's been a hard day's night.'"

Ringo's malapropisms were also possibly responsible for the titles of "Eight Days a Week", although many claim that is not the case and that Ringo was simply repeating what he heard an overworked chauffeur say.

Ringo's verbal missteps also helped create the title of "Tomorrow Never Knows". When The Beatles returned to London after their first visit to America in early 1964 they were interviewed by David Coleman of BBC Television. The interview included the following: Interviewer: "Now, Ringo, I hear you were manhandled at the Embassy Ball. Is this right?" Ringo: "Not really. Someone just cut a bit of my hair, you see." Interviewer: "Let's have a look. You seem to have got plenty left." Ringo: (turns head) "Can you see the difference? It's longer, this side." Interviewer: "What happened exactly?" Ringo: "I don't know. I was just talking, having an interview (exaggerated voice). Just like I am NOW!" (John and Paul begin lifting locks of his hair, pretending to cut it) Ringo: "I was talking away and I looked 'round, and there was about 400 people just smiling. So, you know — what can you say?" John: "What can you say?" Ringo: "Tomorrow never knows."