# What significance, if any, did the word Potzrebie have in old Mad Magazines? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 28, 2000, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-significance-if-any-did-the-word-potzrebie-have-in-old-mad-magazines/23869 "2000-06-28T14:47:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-significance-if-any-did-the-word-potzrebie-have-in-old-mad-magazines/23869/21 "2000-07-01T03:11:20Z")
One piece of information they did convey more than once was that potrzebie bounces. José ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-significance-if-any-did-the-word-potzrebie-have-in-old-mad-magazines/23869/22 "2001-02-19T18:23:18Z")
> [@](#): > > pseudo-Yiddish words, (like “fershlugginer”?) Interestingly, in a book relating the history of the air war during WWI, I encountered _verschleggin_ in a remark on German pilots’ attitudes toward some piece of equipment that was not working. Unfortunetely, I have not been able to find _verschlegging_ (or any meaningful word with a _schleg_ root) in a German dictionary and Rosten does not seem to cover _furshlugginer_ in either of his Yiddish lexicons. ---
**Author:** ![don\_Jaime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@don\_Jaime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_Jaime)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-significance-if-any-did-the-word-potzrebie-have-in-old-mad-magazines/23869/23 "2001-02-20T13:35:04Z")
AIR, “potrzebie” was one of a number of cut-and-paste collections of foreign words and phrases used in a war comic spoof in the early '50s. An American soldier ran into an enemy and tried to talk with him, getting only gibberish in Russian, German (fraktur script), Japanese, and apparently, Polish. This is covered in that one big history of MAD book. I read it in the bookstore, so I can’t give anything more specific. ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-significance-if-any-did-the-word-potzrebie-have-in-old-mad-magazines/23869/24 "2001-02-20T14:22:05Z")
> [@](#): > > The scrawny crow-like bird was named “Corwin.” I wonder if that was a reference to radio and screenwriter Norman Corwin? And while we’re talking about MAD phraseology, no one has mentioned ‘Fa! Fa! Fa!,’ ‘Veeblefester’ and ‘Roger Kaputnik.’ ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-significance-if-any-did-the-word-potzrebie-have-in-old-mad-magazines/23869/25 "2001-02-20T14:46:36Z")
There was a cute little _Mad_ joke on this past Sunday’s episode of _Futurama_. Prof. Farnsworth mentions that, among a string of recently destroyed planets, " . . . Don Martin III went ‘kaflooey!’ . . ." ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-significance-if-any-did-the-word-potzrebie-have-in-old-mad-magazines/23869/26 "2001-02-20T16:05:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arken \* > \*\*And while we’re talking about MAD phraseology, no one has mentioned ‘Fa! Fa! Fa!,’ ‘Veeblefester’ and ‘Roger Kaputnik.’ \*\* Or “Max Korn”, for that matter… although I’m pretty sure we all know what that means! > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arken \* > **There was a cute little Mad joke on this past Sunday’s episode of Futurama. Prof. Farnsworth mentions that, among a string of recently destroyed planets, " . . . Don Martin III went ‘kaflooey!’ . . ."** I was wondering if anyone else had caught that. Don Martin always had the coolest sound effects in his strips. For a while there, though, “Mad’s Maddest Artist”, as he was known, went to work for that… other humour magazine. * * * Pete Long time RGMWer and ardent AOLer ---
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-significance-if-any-did-the-word-potzrebie-have-in-old-mad-magazines/23869/27 "2001-02-20T20:04:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gunslinger \* > \*\*[hijack] Since we’re trying to find meaning in MAD, what’s up with the “ind” beside the “M” on the cover? [/hijack] > \*\* Check out this thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=54035](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=54035) ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-significance-if-any-did-the-word-potzrebie-have-in-old-mad-magazines/23869/28 "2001-02-20T20:31:47Z")
Okay. For the betterment of the world as a whole (or at least you clods who read MAD), I dug out my Totally MAD CD rom collection and looked up Potrzebie. Here’s what I’ve found. First use: Issue #10, April 1954 “Mad Mumblings” [the original letters page] page 18 > [@](#): > > …Please tell me what in the world “Furshlugginer” means.-- Larry E. Lengle E.M.F.N. – c/o F.P.O., New York, New York > > _It means the same as Potrzebie. – ed._ In issue #13, some other readers want to know what both Furshlugginer and Potrzebie mean. Editor’s response? > [@](#): > > Perhaps it might all be explained by illustrating the usage of the words in question, such as, “Who stuffed the furshlugginer blintzes with halvah? They taste like potrzebie!” Also in issue #13, there is a ‘report from abroad’ which is written in Hungarian. Several of the paragraphs have a ‘Potrzebie’ sub-headline. In issue #16, October 1954, Mad Mumblings prints a bunch of letters asking what the hell Potrzebie means. The answer the UGOI give: > [@](#): > > We thought you all knew. However, it’s quite simple. What potrzebie means is simply [at this point, there’s a big blotch where ink has been spilled] – ed. In issue #17, we see a letter from the SPAMWF (the society to prevent the misuse of the word Furshlugginer) who protests that their word is being associated with such terrible words as Potrzebie. In issue #19, after some angry letters about the ink splot, the editor tells us for the first time (as a hint) that potrzebie bounces. In issue #20, there was a response from several misuse of Potrzebie societies expressing shock and horror at the letter in #17 calling potrzebie a terrible word. The Donald Knuth Potrzebie system of weights and measures was re-printed in an issue of MAD! Issue #33, June 1957 starting on page 36. Yeesh. I’m still in the 50s. Forget it, do your own damn research from now on. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-significance-if-any-did-the-word-potzrebie-have-in-old-mad-magazines/23869/29 "2001-02-20T20:50:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arken \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > The scrawny crow-like bird was named “Corwin.” > > I wonder if that was a reference to radio and screenwriter Norman Corwin? > > And while we’re talking about MAD phraseology, no one has mentioned ‘Fa! Fa! Fa!,’ ‘Veeblefester’ and ‘Roger Kaputnik.’ \*\* Corwin is also believed by some to be related to the names Corbin, Corbie, Corvus, etc., derived from the Latin for “crow”. This site says this derivation is suspect, but acknowledges it: [http://www.medievalscotland.org/problem/names/corwin.shtml](http://www.medievalscotland.org/problem/names/corwin.shtml) However, the belief that Corwin is a name derived from “crow” is common among fantasy writers. It would be a reasonable thing to name a crow. That, in itself, may disqualify it where MAD magazine is concerned. I’m not asserting anything definitely, so I won’t consider myself a candidate for a helping of the bird in any case. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-significance-if-any-did-the-word-potzrebie-have-in-old-mad-magazines/23869.md?page=1)