Watching Junkyard Wars last night, one of the contestants suffered a minor aquatic mishap and was walking ashore. The commentator said, “and he’s not a happy bunny right now”.
I’ve heard the phrase before, but can’t remember if it’s from a children’s story or a dirty joke masquarading as a children’s story or what.
Searching on Google revealed a bunch of people claiming to be happy bunnies or unhappy bunnies but nothing on the origin. Seaching the Master’s columns revealed only a reference to early pregnancy tests.
So what’s the origin of “I’m not a happy bunny” or a phrase something like that.
Actually, I thought the phrase was “not a happy camper”. I don’t know the first usage of this, but I think it comes from summer camps where the camp staff try to make the young campers happy all of the time – and in the process become characatures of happiness. When a child isn’t having a good time, he isn’t a “happy camper”. When an adult is said to be “not a happy camper”, I think the implication was that he was being a grumpy child. Through use, the phrase came to mean that someone is upset; possibly without the overtones of childishness.
Of course, this is all just a WAG and I could be completely wrong.