Hee-haw

Posted by Smokey Stover on November 08, 2003

In Reply to: Hee-haw posted by pdianek on November 06, 2003

: The phrase "See you in the funny papers" was heard frequently in the thirties and forties (at least in the U.S.), but I don't know why. The gesture of the hands wiggling at the ears was also very common, often (perhaps always) suggesting defiance or scorn. You could do it behind someone, to be read by some third party as your opinion of the person ahead of you. It was more or less equivalent to sticking out your tongue or giving a Bronx cheer, but I think a little less insulting. The waggling hands (like waggling ears) could suggest the opinion that the person waggled at was an ass, but I never heard anyone (outside of the movies) actually confirming this by saying "Hee-haw," the traditional translation of donkey-talk.