Well, I'll be a cockeyed Finn!

[Johnny L.A.]

Where did this expression come from? I did a search on google for "cockeyed finn", "cock-eyed finn", "cock-eyed fin" and "cockeyed fin". Only one page that had the (last) phrase in a song called Barnacle Bill the Pilot.

I'll be a cockeyed Finn if I can figure out where this expression comes from!

[bibliophage]

Just a guess here: "Cockeyed" can mean crazy and "crazy Finn" is a pretty common expression, especially (IIRC) among old-time Swedes. (Swedes are also inclined to make jokes about stupid Norwegians). "Crazy Finn" perhaps comes from the fact that Finns are so very different in language and customs from their neighbors. In the old Scandinavian folk tales I've read, Finns are often portrayed as untrustworthy, if not exactly crazy. The term "crazy Finn" is so common that it has given a name to a cocktail.