Good Humor
When I get bored, my mind starts to wander. Luckily, I get bored a lot at this job, so I have lots of wandering mind time. Today, I was thinking of how the Good Humor man got his name. Someone with a less worldly life than me might think it was something so simple as the fact that early ice cream vendors were of constant pleasant disposition. I don't agree. Here are some of my historical interpretations of where the name came from:
- "Good Humor" is ancient Dutch for "ice cream on a stick". Unfortunately, ancient Dutch was only a language for three days, so not many people know about it.
- The inventor of the ice cream bar was named James Goodhumor. He was a pilgrim, and was mentioned briefly in The Scarlet Letter:
"and thus he walked past and ladled Hester's crimson ornation with scorn, contrary to his moniker, which would lend one's mind to think elsewise"
It's not explicitly stated, but it is easily implied.
- The saying "good job" was originally "good jab" in the early 1900s, and has evolved from a statement meaning "way to stick it to that guy you just made fun of" into "you have done well". Good Humor harks back to those days with a sort of obscure nostalgia.
- During the Crusades, "Good Humor" was an allegory for "the Holy Grail". When they heard the familiar tinkling of armor coming over a hill, crusaders would shout "Good Humor man!" as a sign that they should start speaking in code lest the enemy overhear their plans.
- In the ice age, right around the time the English language was being developed, cavemen would complement each other on a particularly juicy mammoth by saying "good humerus", as the funny bone was the choicest and plumpest bone in the mammoth's body.
These are just my interpretations, but I'm sure somewhere in there lies the truth.
When I get bored, my mind starts to wander. Luckily, I get bored a lot at this job, so I have lots of wandering mind time. Today, I was thinking of how the Good Humor man got his name. Someone with a less worldly life than me might think it was something so simple as the fact that early ice cream vendors were of constant pleasant disposition. I don't agree. Here are some of my historical interpretations of where the name came from:
- "Good Humor" is ancient Dutch for "ice cream on a stick". Unfortunately, ancient Dutch was only a language for three days, so not many people know about it.
- The inventor of the ice cream bar was named James Goodhumor. He was a pilgrim, and was mentioned briefly in The Scarlet Letter:
"and thus he walked past and ladled Hester's crimson ornation with scorn, contrary to his moniker, which would lend one's mind to think elsewise"
It's not explicitly stated, but it is easily implied.
- The saying "good job" was originally "good jab" in the early 1900s, and has evolved from a statement meaning "way to stick it to that guy you just made fun of" into "you have done well". Good Humor harks back to those days with a sort of obscure nostalgia.
- During the Crusades, "Good Humor" was an allegory for "the Holy Grail". When they heard the familiar tinkling of armor coming over a hill, crusaders would shout "Good Humor man!" as a sign that they should start speaking in code lest the enemy overhear their plans.
- In the ice age, right around the time the English language was being developed, cavemen would complement each other on a particularly juicy mammoth by saying "good humerus", as the funny bone was the choicest and plumpest bone in the mammoth's body.
These are just my interpretations, but I'm sure somewhere in there lies the truth.
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