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I just discovered this show two or three days ago, and I've been listening to all of the episodes available through iTunes. I just got to the one about "the heebie-jeebies," and was interested to find out that it came from the Barney Google comic strip (Grant said it came from the guy who drew the Snuffy Smith comics, though Barney came first). Wikipedia says that the strip also introduced other slang phrases that became fairly common.
This interested me because I am something of a student of comic strips, and have been for many years. I wasn't aware of this little piece of information, though I've known about Barney Google for a while now. I recently graduated from college, with a degree in art, and my senior art show was on comic strips. While doing it, I was mainly focused on the affect the comic strip had on our culture, though I did mention in my artist's statement the affect it has slightly had on our language. My main example was the phrase "yellow journalism," meaning sensational journalism meant to sell newspapers, which came from the first comic strip character The Yellow Kid. Now, hearing about these other phrases that have come from a comic strip has me interested in what other words and phrases have entered our language in the same way. The history of the American comic strip is relatively short, but I'm sure there must be more words and phrases coined by cartoonists in the funny pages.
Is anyone here aware of any?
I grew up hearing phrases like 'Kickapoo Joy Juice' and 'Good as Shmoo' whenever I spent time around the grands. My father (a die hard road runner and coyote fan), would occasionally mention something 'out of the ACME catalog'. I would say it is a form of cultural bonding. Almost like slang, it identifies a situation with some kind of sub-text and includes the connotation of 'I'm part of the group'. Mostly for my part, I use catch phrases. I will let you think on the source to get an extra smile.
'smarter than the average bear'
'you knew the job was dangerous when you took it Fred'
'exit, stage left'
'Zoinks!' 'Roh-roh' and 'my glasses, I can't see a thing without my glasses'
'Here I come to save the day' (sung in an operatic style)
I'm not sure what knowing these says about me, but…
'smarter than the average bear' – Yogi Bear
'you knew the job was dangerous when you took it Fred' – Super Chicken
'exit, stage left' – Snagglepuss
'Zoinks!' 'Roh-roh' and 'my glasses, I can't see a thing without my glasses' – Scooby-Doo
'Here I come to save the day' (sung in an operatic style) – Mighty Mouse
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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