# A Bloke Named Smokie **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 31, 2000, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bloke-named-smokie/9627 "2000-03-31T12:25:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bloke-named-smokie/9627/1 "2000-03-31T12:25:00Z")
In Cab Calloway’s _Minnie the Moocher_: _She fell in love with a bloke named Smokie She loved him, though he was cokie_ What is “cokie”? I’ve heard that at the time light-skinned blacks were higher in the social hierarchy than dark-skinned blacks. For the sake of this argument, let’s assume Minnie was “high yellow”. Is the song saying that she loved Smokie even though he was as black as coke (coal), and much darker than she? Cocaine was also popular at the time. Perhaps “cokie” meant that Smokie was a cocaine addict, but Minnie loved him anyway? Or was the choice of “cokie” an intentional double-entendre? * * * “I must leave this planet, if only for an hour.” – Antoine de St. Exupéry Are you a turtle? ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bloke-named-smokie/9627/2 "2000-03-31T14:56:00Z")
The first scenario outlined above is a fine example of what we chefs call “making too much soup from one oyster.” It’s a drug reference, pure and simple. The song continues, _…He took her down to Chinatown And showed her how to kick the gong around._ “kicking the gong” is thirties-era slang for doing opium; Smokey took this girl and got her hooked. * * * Live a Lush Life Da Chef ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bloke-named-smokie/9627/3 "2000-03-31T15:23:00Z")
## Don’t sweat not getting the drug reference, the fact that you listen to _truly_ cool music more than makes up for it. Blatant drug references were hip in the 30’s, even Cole Porter used them. Calloway’s Law: For each “Hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi” there must be a “Ho-de-ho-de-ho-de-ho” of equal magnitude. ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bloke-named-smokie/9627/4 "2000-03-31T16:12:00Z")
Padeye is absolutely right. I salute your taste in music. IIRC, when Calloway performed this song in “The Blues Brothers” and came to the line in question, he tapped his nose significantly. * * * Live a Lush Life Da Chef ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2000, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bloke-named-smokie/9627/5 "2000-04-02T21:36:00Z")
Thanks, mates! BTW: **Danny Elfman** , as Satan, did a good cover of _Minnie the Moocher_ in his brother’s wacked-out film _The Forbidden Zone_ (starring Herve Villachiez). * * * “I must leave this planet, if only for an hour.” – Antoine de St. Exupéry Are you a turtle? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2000, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bloke-named-smokie/9627/6 "2000-04-02T22:00:00Z")
According to a harmonica book I’ve got, _Minnie the Moocher_ was based on an earlier song called _Willy the Weeper_. I think the Willy version made it clearer that it was about a drug induced hallucination.