# Origin of Jingle Bells, Batman Smells...? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 8, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-jingle-bells-batman-smells/289061 "2005-02-08T21:23:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-jingle-bells-batman-smells/289061/21 "2005-02-10T00:53:49Z")
Q) How does Bruce Wayne’s mother call him home when it’s meal time? A) dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner BATMAN well, it was funny when I was 7 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-jingle-bells-batman-smells/289061/22 "2005-02-10T01:24:19Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > Q) How does Bruce Wayne’s mother call him home when it’s meal time? > > A) dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner BATMAN But she’s, you know…dead. And besides, Alfred did the cookin. ---
**Author:** ![Vision\_of\_Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Vision\_of\_Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vision_of_Love)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-jingle-bells-batman-smells/289061/23 "2005-02-10T02:01:35Z")
> [@F. U. Shakespeare](#): > > I remember this from around 1966: > > _Q: What did they call Batman and Robin after they got run over by a steamroller?_ > > _A: Flatman and Ribbon_ Now _that’s_ funny! Back to the OP: I’ve also heard a version that ends with “And joker took ballet.” Kinda lame, I know. This was from the early 90s. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-jingle-bells-batman-smells/289061/24 "2005-02-10T02:27:18Z")
A. Since a horse-drawn sleigh produces very little sound over snow, bells were traditionally used to warn others of a sleigh’s approach in order to avoid a collison. In the days when travel by sleigh was common, bells were actually a legal requirement as a safety precaution. B. Batman dresses in tight-fitting full-body synthetic garb and engages in vigorous physical exertion for long periods. Also, as his name suggests, he spends a great amount of time in a cave populated by bats, which produce a rich carpet of nitrate-laden guano. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-jingle-bells-batman-smells/289061/25 "2005-02-10T02:30:54Z")
> [@Vision of Love](#): > > Back to the OP: > > I’ve also heard a version that ends with “And joker took ballet.” Kinda lame, I know. This was from the early 90s. That wasn’t the Joker, that was Tu-Two Face. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-jingle-bells-batman-smells/289061/26 "2005-02-10T02:51:30Z")
The earliest version I heard goes back to 1972. I think it was “The batmobile lost a wheel and the joker got away!” It’s hard to track down kiddie rhymes–I’d pay a fortune to know where those “Miss Lulu” tunes come from but I’ll probably never find out. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-jingle-bells-batman-smells/289061/27 "2005-02-10T11:14:33Z")
The one I heard was: Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin flew away. The Batmobile lost a wheel, On the M6 motorway. Repeat ad nauseum. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-jingle-bells-batman-smells/289061.md?page=1)