Who or what is the boogieman?

[Dalchini]

This seems like a common childhood fear. But what is the boogieman? Is there an old legend about the boogie man? Is it based on some fear our ancestors had? Or is it an invention of the twentieth century?

[Patr100]

Do you mean bogeyman?

[Dalchini]

Curse my bad spelling.

[ParentalAdvisory]

Originally posted by Patr100
Do you mean bogeyman?


By the looks of that spelling, it would give paint the picture of a man who ocassionaly gets one over par.

But bogey can also mean an evil spirit.

I'd still spell it Boogieman though, it just looks better.

'Bo gee' or 'Boo gee', it's up to you.

[LemonThrower]

As KC and the Sunshine Band explained:

I'm your boogieman....that's what I am
I'm here to do whatever I can
be it early morning, late afternoon
or at midnight, it's never too soon to
want to please you, to want to keep you;
I want to do it all, all for you.
I want to be your rubber ball
I want to be the one you love most all
Oh yeah!!!
I'm your boogie man, I'm your boogie man,
turn me on
I'm your boogie man, I'm your boogie man
I'll do what you want

[Trigonal Planar]

I believe the legend of the boogieman orignated during the height of the 70s disco era. As they used to say, "blame it on the boogie".

[Khadaji]

My dictionary says that the Bogeyman is another word for Hobgoblin. Other words suggested were: bugbear, bugaboo, boogeyman, booger.

[Spoke]

The Master speaks. (http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_288.html)

[bbeaty]

If you're bad, then little men with huge black eyes and pale faces will come into your bedroom in the night and whisk you through the walls to fairyland, where they'll get you w'child, my lassie!

[pool]

you should read that stephen king short story im not sure of the spelling but it's called boogieman it is in one of his short story collections...fucking scary man.

[asterion]

Originally posted by bbeaty
If you're bad, then little men with huge black eyes and pale faces will come into your bedroom in the night and whisk you through the walls to fairyland, where they'll get you w'child, my lassie!

Well, I guess that explains Michael Jackson.

[slipster]

My dad never tired of observing that part of growing up is learning that The Bogey Man is like Santa Claus: he's really just your father...

[Captain Amazing]

Originally posted by slipster
My dad never tired of observing that part of growing up is learning that The Bogey Man is like Santa Claus: he's really just your father...

If your father takes you to fairyland and gets you with child, you've got bigger problems...

[Trinopus]

Yama Yama Man
By Collin Davis & Karl Hoschna, 1908
>From the Broadway show 3 Twins

Verse
Ev'ry little tot at night is afraid of the dark, you know.
Some big Yama man they see, when off to bed they go.
Great big stary eyes you see, so you cover up your head,
But that Yama man is there, standing right beside your bed!

Chorus
Yuama, Yama, Yama man, terrible eyes and a long boney hand.
If you don't watch out he'll get you without a doubt, if he can!
Maybe he's hidin' behind the char, ready to spring out at you unaware!
Run to your Mama cuz' here comes the Yama Yama man!


Trinopus

[DreadCthulhu]

Originally posted by bbeaty
If you're bad, then little men with huge black eyes and pale faces will come into your bedroom in the night and whisk you through the walls to fairyland, where they'll get you w'child, my lassie!

I thought they dragged you to their spaceship to anal probe you.

[bbeaty]

Originally posted by DreadCthulhu
I thought they dragged you to their spaceship to anal probe you.

Perhaps it's not the boogieMEN who do that. And Dan Savage says that we must now call such things "pegging."