# Obscure Cultural Reference In Popeye? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 26, 2017, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281 "2017-04-26T13:03:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/1 "2017-04-26T13:03:34Z")
I have to admit, it has been a while since I saw a _Popeye_ cartoon. I was just a child. I don’t even know if they show it on TV anymore. Anyways, the cartoons long out-date me. Many of them are even in black and white. That is how old they are. But I do remember this one thing from the cartoon. Popeye would be walking down a street, usually with Olive Oyl. And they would reach a pole, about to separate them on their way. Then Popeye would suddenly stop, and say “Bread and butter” and make sure the pole didn’t separate them. I assume he was referring to some old superstition, or something like that. But what superstition was he referring to? And what saying (I assume) with “Bread and butter”? What was the whole saying? A lot of old sayings and superstitions just go away, I suppose. Maybe we should do better to preserve the memory of some of them. Maybe it is not too late for this one. :):)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/2 "2017-04-26T13:06:35Z")
Wiki: [Bread and butter (superstition) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_butter_%28superstition%29) > [@](#): > > “Bread and butter” is a superstitious blessing or charm, typically said by young couples or friends walking together when they are forced to separate by an obstacle, such as a pole or another person. By saying the phrase, the bad luck of letting something come between them is thought to be averted. Both walkers must say the phrase, and if they do not do this, then a bitter quarrel is expected to occur. The concept derives from the difficulty of separating butter from bread once it has been spread – buttered bread cannot be “unbuttered”. Another phrase used in this way is “salt and pepper”. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/3 "2017-04-26T14:04:45Z")
Well blow me down! ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/4 "2017-04-26T14:17:31Z")
I’m picturing a (color) cartoon from the 40s, perhaps Loony Tunes but not any of their main characters, with a scene from a zoo, where two tigers (or were they lions?) pace back and forth in a cage repeatedly saying “bread and butter”. My wife and I do that all the time now when we’re walking and take separate paths around a pole or low fence or something. And we were both born in the 80s. So, perhaps an old superstition, but it’s still got practitioners. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/5 "2017-04-26T14:21:09Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Well blow me down! Speaking of obscure cultural references… Okay, I know that when Popeye says, “Blow me down,” he’s referring to the sea chantey _Blow the Man Down_. I don’t know many of the verses, but it starts: _"I’ll sing you a song, a good song of the sea, To me way, aye, blow the man down. I trust you will join in the chorus with me. Give me some time to blow the man down._ My question is, just what is blowing the man down? It seems like maybe it refers to punching someone? I mean, that’s what Popeye did a lot. But why would you need time to do that? You’d think that could be done in seconds. So, I guess it means something else? What? And yes, I know Popeye was created way after the song. And I don’t mean to hijack, or shanghai this thread. I was just wondering. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/6 "2017-04-26T14:30:15Z")
Pro tip: Don’t google “blow the man down” at work. My grandmother taught me to say “bread and butter” when we were walking together. I sometimes say it now when I’m cutting between two people, but no one ever seems to pick up on it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/7 "2017-04-26T14:49:18Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Well blow me down! - In the Bandar tongue. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/8 "2017-04-26T14:53:52Z")
Phrase [Finder.com](http://Finder.com): [Well, blow me down - phrase meaning and origin](http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/20/messages/621.html) > [@](#): > > It means knock me down. It’s common in sea shanties and I think it means a physical blow rather than a gust of wind. > > From the archives: > > “‘Blow the Man Down’ originated in the Western Ocean sailing ships. The tune could have originated with German emigrants, but it is more likely derived from an African-American song ‘Knock a Man Down.’” ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/9 "2017-04-26T15:21:41Z")
This was mentioned (in a slightly different form) in an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Andy and Barney were walking down the sidewalk and walked on opposite sides of a light pole. Barney said “Pins!” and was upset that Andy didn’t immediately say “Needles!”. Barney lectured Andy that it was bad luck to get separated while walking together and that it was necessary for each of them to say one of two words that went together to avert the bad luck. He explained that if he had said “Bread!” Andy would be expected to reply “Butter!” ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/10 "2017-04-26T16:06:50Z")
But why would you need time to knock a man down? It makes more sense to ask for an opportunity, as in “Give me a chance to knock the man down.” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/11 "2017-04-26T16:13:25Z")
Huh, I would have assumed that in a nautical context, \ing a \ down would always refer to securing some sort of line or rope. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/12 "2017-04-26T16:19:35Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > This was mentioned (in a slightly different form) in an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Andy and Barney were walking down the sidewalk and walked on opposite sides of a light pole. Barney said “Pins!” and was upset that Andy didn’t immediately say “Needles!”. Barney lectured Andy that it was bad luck to get separated while walking together and that it was necessary for each of them to say one of two words that went together to avert the bad luck. He explained that if he had said “Bread!” Andy would be expected to reply “Butter!” I remember people doing the Bread and Butter thing when I was a child, and something else I can’t remember that may have Pins and Needles. Also like saying ‘Jinx’ when people say the same thing at the same time. I’m not sure what consequences of failing to perform the ritual would be but it’s probably not a spinal injury to your mother because that’s the result of something else. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/13 "2017-04-26T16:42:54Z")
Supposedly, a consequences of not saying “Bread and butter” (especially for a young couple) was that the two people would break up. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/14 "2017-04-26T16:47:51Z")
What was the deal with financing the purchase of a hamburger? ---
**Author:** ![SUZ\_MAC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@SUZ\_MAC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SUZ_MAC)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/15 "2017-04-26T17:59:39Z")
I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/16 "2017-04-26T18:04:01Z")
> [@SUZ\_MAC](#): > > I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today. 😛 Right, but what was the deal with this? Were they extremely pricey hamburgers? Was there a meat shortage? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/17 "2017-04-26T18:27:00Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Right, but what was the deal with this? Were they extremely pricey hamburgers? Was there a meat shortage? Wimpy as a character who consistently borrowed money for hamburgers from Popeye, and everyone as far as I know. ---
**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 26, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/18 "2017-04-26T18:30:42Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Right, but what was the deal with this? Were they extremely pricey hamburgers? Was there a meat shortage? Wimpy didn’t have any money. He wanted someone to give him money for a hamburger, promising to repay them Tuesday. (Perhaps that was his payday.) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/19 "2017-04-26T18:31:07Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > \ing a \ That’s hot. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281/20 "2017-04-26T18:38:32Z")
As I recall, Wimpy was a cheapskate and a scam artist, so his promise to repay the lender on Tuesday was an empty one. He also sometimes said, “I’d like to invite you over to my house for a duck dinner. You bring the ducks.” He probably could pay for his own hamburgers, but why buy your own if you can con some poor sap into paying instead? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-cultural-reference-in-popeye/785281.md?page=2)