# Origins of "May I mambo dogface on the banana patch?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-may-i-mambo-dogface-on-the-banana-patch/198466 "2003-08-29T17:42:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eliphalet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eliphalet/32/9563_2.png) [@Eliphalet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eliphalet)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-may-i-mambo-dogface-on-the-banana-patch/198466/1 "2003-08-29T17:42:13Z")
Here’s another one from the useless trivia section of my life. I’m trying to find the source of the phrase/song title/punchline of “May I mambo dogface on the banana patch?” Or words to the effect. I’m not even sure how I go into the conversation where this came up… But it’s stuck in my brain now. Eli ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-may-i-mambo-dogface-on-the-banana-patch/198466/2 "2003-08-29T17:53:15Z")
This is from a Steve Martin album. He suggested talking “wrong” around little kids who are learning to talk. He imagined that a kid would raise his hand in first grade and say, “Excuse me, teacher, may I mambo dogface to the banana patch?” ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-may-i-mambo-dogface-on-the-banana-patch/198466/3 "2003-08-29T18:45:15Z")
Oddly enough, this exact phrase was used in today’s [Get Fuzzy](http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/getfuzzy/) strip. ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-may-i-mambo-dogface-on-the-banana-patch/198466/4 "2003-08-29T19:01:10Z")
[**Dogface**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=30916) is really gonna enjoy that. ---
**Author:** ![Eliphalet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eliphalet/32/9563_2.png) [@Eliphalet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eliphalet)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-may-i-mambo-dogface-on-the-banana-patch/198466/5 "2003-08-29T19:05:17Z")
Knowing the crowd talking about this, it wouldn’t surprise me. They came into my cube and asked me about it. Apparently I’m getting a reputation as a fount of useless knowledge… ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-may-i-mambo-dogface-on-the-banana-patch/198466/6 "2003-08-29T20:25:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eliphalet \* > \*\*Apparently I’m getting a reputation as a fount of useless knowledge… \*\* That’s _font_, if you please. _Font_ of useless knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-may-i-mambo-dogface-on-the-banana-patch/198466/7 "2003-08-29T20:47:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Derleth \* > That’s _font_, if you please. _Font_ of useless knowledge. Webster’s (and I’s) disagrees with you. fount Pronunciation: 'faunt Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French font, from Latin font-, fons Date: 15th century : FOUNTAIN, SOURCE ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-may-i-mambo-dogface-on-the-banana-patch/198466/8 "2003-08-29T20:47:04Z")
> [@](#): > > This is from a Steve Martin album. He suggested talking “wrong” around little kids who are learning to talk. He imagined that a kid would raise his hand in first grade and say, > “Excuse me, teacher, may I mambo dogface to the banana patch?” - - - Looking around at Steve Martin CD’s, they now list it as being on the album “Comedy Is Not Pretty”, but I didn’t have that one but had the “Wild And Crazy Guy” album years ago and I swear it appeared on that… ~ ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-may-i-mambo-dogface-on-the-banana-patch/198466/9 "2003-08-30T05:46:05Z")
My favorite line from that sketch is the teacher’s reply: “Give that kid a test and get him out of here.” We use that one a \*lot. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-may-i-mambo-dogface-on-the-banana-patch/198466/10 "2003-08-30T05:51:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*Webster’s (and I’s) disagrees with you. > > fount > Pronunciation: 'faunt > Function: noun > Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French font, from Latin font-, fons > Date: 15th century > : FOUNTAIN, SOURCE \*\* Font, in this case, **means** fount, but you still say “font” because the phrase is “font of knowledge.” Call it idiomatic, perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![Iguana\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@Iguana\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iguana_Boy)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-may-i-mambo-dogface-on-the-banana-patch/198466/11 "2003-08-30T07:45:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DougC \* > \*\*- - - Looking around at Steve Martin CD’s, they now list it as being on the album “Comedy Is Not Pretty”, but I didn’t have that one but had the “Wild And Crazy Guy” album years ago and I swear it appeared on that… > ~ \*\* You are correct - it is on **Wild and Crazy Guy**. I have that album. Of course, it could _also_ be on **Comedy is Not Pretty** … ---
**Author:** ![T.Slothrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@T.Slothrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Slothrop)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-may-i-mambo-dogface-on-the-banana-patch/198466/12 "2003-08-30T08:01:18Z")
Similarly, when my daughter was just learning to talk, my older brother ( the evil one) started teaching her to say: “Hey sailor, looking for a good time ?”. Luckily, he had to go back to Hawaii.