# Excitable Boy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 28, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excitable-boy/454572 "2008-06-28T15:01:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![churchkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90db22/32.png) [@churchkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/churchkey)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excitable-boy/454572/1 "2008-06-28T15:01:13Z")
Hello, I’ve been a reader of “The Straight Dope” for years and years, and I would appreciate any further information about a phrase Cecil used in his rebuff to a reader’s response in the column about flea circuses. Here’s a link to the column: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_006a.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_006a.html) In the second-to-last-line Cecil says “So OK, you got me on a couple things. But can the excitable boy shtick, eh?” So what does “excitable boy” mean? Internet searches mainly return pages about Warren Zevon’s album that included the jukebox regular “Werewolves of London”. In theatre, cinema, literature, etc., is “excitable boy” a sort of stock character type like “old miser” or something along those lines? The letter writer here seems to be sort of obsessive, and in my head as I read his letter with a sort of spittle-flecked, manic pace. Did I guess right? If so, where can I read more about theatre archetypes. If not, what did he mean? I appreciate your time. ---
**Author:** ![bufftabby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bufftabby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bufftabby)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excitable-boy/454572/2 "2008-06-28T15:35:15Z")
I took a look at the [lyrics](http://davemcnally.co.uk/lyrics/WarrenZevon/ExictableBoy.asp) to the Warren Zevon song, and it’s about a fellow who’s batpoop insane, but everyone brushes it off saying “he’s just an excitable boy”. He eventually rapes and kills his prom date, Susie, but he’s still “just an excitable boy”. The lyrics make me think that was Cecil’s way of saying, “cut the insane-o crap, would ya?” ---
**Author:** ![bufftabby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bufftabby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bufftabby)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excitable-boy/454572/3 "2008-06-28T15:37:24Z")
Oh, and here’s the [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_character) on stock characters, aka “theatre archetypes”. ---
**Author:** ![SeanArenas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeanArenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeanArenas)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excitable-boy/454572/4 "2008-06-30T13:17:49Z")
[QUOTE=bufftabby] I took a look at the [lyrics](http://davemcnally.co.uk/lyrics/WarrenZevon/ExictableBoy.asp) to the Warren Zevon song, and it’s about a fellow who’s batpoop insane, but everyone brushes it off saying “he’s just an excitable boy”. He eventually rapes and kills his prom date, Susie, but he’s still “just an excitable boy”. The lyrics make me think that was Cecil’s way of saying, “cut the insane-o crap, would ya?” [/QUOTE] Sounds similar to “Only a Lad” by Oingo Boingo. Re: The Warren Zevon, what’s up with the lyrics “I’d like to meet his tailor”? Is it related to “His hair was perfect” ? ---
**Author:** ![bufftabby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bufftabby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bufftabby)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2008, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excitable-boy/454572/5 "2008-06-30T14:36:45Z")
[QUOTE=SeanArenas] Sounds similar to “Only a Lad” by Oingo Boingo. Re: The Warren Zevon, what’s up with the lyrics “I’d like to meet his tailor”? Is it related to “His hair was perfect” ? [/QUOTE] He does seem to be a stylish gent. [This site](http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=119366&offset=25&page=1#comments) has a lot of speculation on the deeper meaning of _Werewolves_, and is kind of interesting. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excitable-boy/454572/6 "2008-07-01T16:49:21Z")
[QUOTE=SeanArenas] The Warren Zevon, what’s up with the lyrics “I’d like to meet his tailor”? [/QUOTE] Still, it make more sense than the live version in which he was looking for James Taylor. Not a lot of meat on those bones, though some of us wouldn’t mind if a werewolf tore his throat out.