# Who or what is the boogieman? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 28, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445 "2003-12-28T20:43:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dalchini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dalchini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dalchini)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/1 "2003-12-28T20:43:28Z")
This seems like a common childhood fear. But what is the boogieman? Is there an old legend about the boogie man? Is it based on some fear our ancestors had? Or is it an invention of the twentieth century? ---
**Author:** ![Patr100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@Patr100](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patr100)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/2 "2003-12-28T21:00:50Z")
Do you mean bogeyman? ---
**Author:** ![Dalchini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dalchini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dalchini)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/3 "2003-12-28T21:04:27Z")
Curse my bad spelling. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/4 "2003-12-28T21:18:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Patr100 \* > \*\*Do you mean bogeyman? \*\* By the looks of that spelling, it would give paint the picture of a man who ocassionaly gets one over par. But bogey can also mean an evil spirit. I’d still spell it Boogieman though, it just looks better. ‘Bo gee’ or ‘Boo gee’, it’s up to you. ---
**Author:** ![LemonThrower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@LemonThrower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LemonThrower)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/5 "2003-12-28T21:55:32Z")
As KC and the Sunshine Band explained: I’m your boogieman…that’s what I am I’m here to do whatever I can be it early morning, late afternoon or at midnight, it’s never too soon to want to please you, to want to keep you; I want to do it all, all for you. I want to be your rubber ball I want to be the one you love most all Oh yeah!!! I’m your boogie man, I’m your boogie man, turn me on I’m your boogie man, I’m your boogie man I’ll do what you want ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/6 "2003-12-28T22:13:38Z")
I believe the legend of the boogieman orignated during the height of the 70s disco era. As they used to say, “blame it on the boogie”. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/7 "2003-12-28T22:32:56Z")
My dictionary says that the Bogeyman is another word for Hobgoblin. Other words suggested were: bugbear, bugaboo, boogeyman, booger. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/8 "2003-12-28T22:45:10Z")
[The Master speaks.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_288.html) ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/9 "2003-12-29T02:19:17Z")
If you’re bad, then little men with huge black eyes and pale faces will come into your bedroom in the night and whisk you through the walls to fairyland, where they’ll get you w’child, my lassie! ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/10 "2003-12-29T03:30:20Z")
you should read that stephen king short story im not sure of the spelling but it’s called boogieman it is in one of his short story collections…fucking scary man. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/11 "2003-12-29T05:56:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bbeaty \* > \*\*If you’re bad, then little men with huge black eyes and pale faces will come into your bedroom in the night and whisk you through the walls to fairyland, where they’ll get you w’child, my lassie! \*\* Well, I guess that explains Michael Jackson. ---
**Author:** ![slipster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@slipster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slipster)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/12 "2003-12-29T17:10:03Z")
My dad never tired of observing that part of growing up is learning that The Bogey Man is like Santa Claus: he’s really just your father… ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/13 "2003-12-29T18:04:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by slipster \* > \*\*My dad never tired of observing that part of growing up is learning that The Bogey Man is like Santa Claus: he’s really just your father… \*\* If your father takes you to fairyland and gets you with child, you’ve got bigger problems… ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/14 "2003-12-29T19:55:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Yama Yama Man > By Collin Davis & Karl Hoschna, 1908 > \>From the Broadway show 3 Twins > > Verse > Ev’ry little tot at night is afraid of the dark, you know. > Some big Yama man they see, when off to bed they go. > Great big stary eyes you see, so you cover up your head, > But that Yama man is there, standing right beside your bed! > > Chorus > Yuama, Yama, Yama man, terrible eyes and a long boney hand. > If you don’t watch out he’ll get you without a doubt, if he can! > Maybe he’s hidin’ behind the char, ready to spring out at you unaware! > Run to your Mama cuz’ here comes the Yama Yama man! Trinopus ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/15 "2003-12-29T21:36:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bbeaty \* > \*\*If you’re bad, then little men with huge black eyes and pale faces will come into your bedroom in the night and whisk you through the walls to fairyland, where they’ll get you w’child, my lassie! \*\* I thought they dragged you to their spaceship to anal probe you. ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-the-boogieman/221445/16 "2003-12-29T22:40:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DreadCthulhu \* > \*\*I thought they dragged you to their spaceship to anal probe you. \*\* Perhaps it’s not the boogieMEN who do that. And Dan Savage says that we must now call such things “pegging.”