Date: Tue, 18 Oct 1994 16:06:00 EDT

From: "Dennis.Preston" 22709MGR[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MSU.EDU

Subject: Re: offending idioms



It is true that Wham Bam Thank you Mam is an old catchphrase, but it is also

only a part of a longer old rabbit joke. A horny old rabbit is moving among

his females saying Wham Bam (rapidity and frequency of rabbit intercourse is

the joke for you city folks). In the telling of the joke this is said several

times, then the line Wham Bam Sorry Sam concludes the telling.

Although the line, therefore, orginally had animal sexual reference, the

transfer to humans was obvious and usual (at least in my Louisville KY 1940s

and 50s childhood).

I wanted to set the rabbit history of this phrase straight.

Dennis Preston