Monday, January 11, 2010

Punch Buggy!

There are strange threads that apparently connect the generations. For example, the car model that is "it". Having experienced teenagers and an 8-year-old for a couple of weeks, I quickly learned that the sighting of a new model Beetle brings the shout of "punch buggy -- no punch back". From both crews, one from Louisiana and the other from Alaska. Now this is a true meme! A meaningless meme, but certainly widespread. Things got a bit more complicated with the Alaska Gdotter, who also shouts out when she's seen 1) a yellow car ("score"), 2) an orange car (I forget the shout) and 3) a pale blue car ("boo-boo").

What does this have to do with my childhood? Simple: when my brother and I were kids, we were ever on the lookout for a Willys with its weird beak and big moustache. I don't recall what the shout was (if there was one), but I will never forget the look of the cars! I've no idea what the "it" cars were in the intervening years...perhap someone can fill me in.

7 comments:

Antipodean Curmudgeon said...

Delving into my fading memory, I recall one of the students at Freemont(sp) Primary in Riverside being themember of a family with a Willys sedan which we derided as it was pointy at the front and looked nothing like a Ford or Chevy. Early bias.

Hermano

Anonymous said...

"Punch buggy... no punch back"....

I'm feeling old. Didn't even know about this phrase. LOL

~Anon in AV.

Kathleen said...

'slug bug' - and you got to punch the other person (lightly) in the arm - roflol - I learned it at college because we 'weren't allowed to punch'

Out here in the boonies, it was thumbs up over railroad tracks - lol - too few cars on the back roads when the kids were younger.

Granny J said...

bro -- I certainly recall that to us kids, the Willys looked mighty strange.

anon av -- there's always something new, trivial & different with youngsters around.

frame -- but what kind of car evoked that response? Was it a Beetle?

Kathleen said...

Indeed it was a Beetle - the original Bug, at that =p

Avus said...

Loved the look of that Willys, Granny

Granny J said...

frame -- oh, I guessed right! But then, the Beetle was always a car that stuck out. Possiby that's one of the things that added to its popularity.

avus -- in my youth, the Willys was considered quite weird. Besides, it was definitely NOT a Detroit product. Henry J. Kaiser, I believe, was the backer. Built in California.

 
Photo Blog Blog Top Sites Blog Directory for Prescott, AZ

Local Blogs - Blog Top Sites