phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

The Good Humor Man

Posted by R. Berg on March 22, 2004

In Reply to: The Good Humor Man posted by Miri Barak on March 22, 2004

: : : : I would like to know what kind of person he is?
: : : : Someone who contribute to the community? or is it a title that you get for doing things for your community?

: : : : In my context it is said ironically:

: : : : "A few minutes later, we meet Meter Cheater #2. AKA "The Good Humor Man." He not only pumps up his own meter, but he takes care of his friend's as well".

: : : : Thank you very much

: : : You can stay at a parking meter for a limited time only, after which you must move. This makes room for someone else. Long term parking for commuters is more expensive. This man feeds the meters when time is running out, extending his stay and his friend's beyond the permitted time. That is why he is a Meter Cheater, but his friend looks upon his activities with approval. I'm not sure that this alone gives him the title of The Good Humor Man. He is really acting selfishly rather than in the interests of the community. However, your view of him will depend on your own position.
: : :The original Good Humor Man-
: : : It was 1920. Harry Burt had just created the Jolly Boy Sucker, a lollypop on a stick. Later, while working in his ice cream parlor, Burt developed a smooth chocolate coating that was compatible with ice cream. Unfortunately, the new combination was too messy to eat. Burt's young son, Harry Jr., suggested that his dad take some of the wooden sticks used for the Jolly Boy Suckers and freeze them into the ice cream. The first ice cream on a stick was born.
: : The name Good Humor came from the belief that a person's "humor" or temperament was related to the humor of the palate (one's sense of taste).
: : To market his Good Humor Bars, Burt sent out a fleet of 12 chauffeur-driven trucks with bells to make door-to-door deliveries. The Good Humor Man was born.
: : In 1930, a New York businessman and investor by the name of M.J. Meehan acquired the national rights to the company by buying 75% of the shares.
: : During the 1950s and 1960s, the fleet of Good Humor trucks kept expanding, and the Good Humor Man became an institution. The tinkling of the truck's bell would attract kids of all ages, in search of the delicious ice cream on a stick.
: : The Meehan family owned the company until 1961 when it was sold to Unilever's U.S. subsidiary, the Thomas J. Lipton Company.
: : In 1976, when the company's direct-selling business was phased out in favor of grocery stores and free-standing freezer cabinets, the trucks were parked for the last time.
: : You can still find some of the original Good Humor trucks on the road today, but they're owned by ice cream distributors or private individuals.
: :
: : © 2004 Good Humor - Breyers

: Thank you all so much for the enlightening information, of course I still have to find an equivalent.
: Thanks again. you never miss.

Miri, here's another idea. Some cultures have stories of imaginary beings that do favors for people. For instance, there's a British tradition of a creature, something like a fairy, that visits at night and does the housework. If your culture has anything like a "good fairy" or a "helpful angel," that would work as an equivalent.

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.