Those of us of a certain age share pop cultural refereces that are lost on the younger generation, whose references I find mystifying.
When I was hiking a fellow hiker of my age and I were resting, When he decided it was time to go, he turned to me and said Let’s went! To which I replied Pancho!
The students occupying the Plaza del Sol in Madrid call themselves los indignados. To those of my generation, this brought back memories of Al Capp’s S.W.I.N.E.
Speaking of Al Capp, I often reference to an alcoholic concoction as Kickapoo Joy Juice.
After I grew up I discovered there were in fact Kickapoo Indians. I am not sure what they thought of the cartoon – although Al Capp was an equal opportunity caricaturist – most of the characters are 100% Wasps. The Indian in the cartoon is Lonesome Polecat, by which name I often address our resident cat.
Then there were Dogpatch’s Civil War Hero – Jubilation T. Cornpone (Hero of “Cornpone’s Retreat,” “Cornpone’s Disaster” and “Cornpone’s Rout”) and the true-to-life U. S. Senator Jack S. Phogbound (His motto – “There’s no Jack S. like our Jack S.!)
And Earthquake McGoon, Moonbeam McSwine, Big Barnsmell (Inside Man at the Skonk Works), Fearless Fosdick, the schmoos, hammus alabamus, Evil-Eye Fleagle, Marryin’ Sam, Joe BTFSPLK, and Sadie Hawkins Day – and let us not forget the great industrialist General Bullmoose (“What’s good for General Bullmoose is good for the USA!”). He seems to be the ideal of the current lords of the earth on Wall Street.
