"Ready for Freddy"?
charles silver
"Ready for Freddy." Also, who originated it? Where? And when?
I am particularly interested in finding out who "Freddy" is.
Can anyone tell me?
Thank you in advance.
Charlie Silver
silv...@mindspring.com
IK
victims' souls by worming his way into their dreams. I could imagine that
it's some kind of mocking or teasing when you ask someone 'Ready for
Freddy?'
Regards, Ingo
meirm...@erols.com
silver" <silv...@mindspring.com> posted:
> I am very interested in the meaning(s) of the expression
>"Ready for Freddy." Also, who originated it? Where? And when?
>I am particularly interested in finding out who "Freddy" is.
>Can anyone tell me?
>
Don't know, but this reminds me of a story that relates to words
changing their meaning.
Ten years ago, I was talking to a girl 10 years younger than I, and
she asked something about a popular character Waldo, who he was? I
said Waldo was Riley's friend on The Life of Riley. She said, What's
The Life of Riley? I said, the TV series with William Bendix. She
said, Who's William Bendix?
Days or weeks later it turned out it wasn't that Waldo at all. It was
a new one from the comic book or cartoon puzzle Where's Waldo. *I'd*
never heard of that.
Born west of
Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
Baltimore 17 years
Schainbaum, Robert
Don't know the origin, but I do know that it specifically refers to
being prepared to spend time in jail. John Gotti (a big New York crime
boss) said it on the day when he was sentenced to his current term in
jail. Mr. Gotti was saying that the prospect of years in a jail cell
didn't frighten him. The language of tough guys. It's quite possible
that the meaning has been broadedened to apply fit other unpleasant
outcomes and sanctions. In face of expulsion from school, firing or
bankruptcy, you might find yourself saying, "I'm ready for Freddy." I'm
not sure I've heard it, but I think I have. I've certainly heard it
from employees about to be laid off from firms in New York City.
/r
masakim
"charles silver" wrote:
> I am very interested in the meaning(s) of the expression
> "Ready for Freddy." Also, who originated it? Where? And
> when? I am particularly interested in finding out who
> "Freddy" is.
>
Nigel Rees writes in _Dictionary of Popuular Phrases_ (1990):
*are you ready, Eddie?* Slogan.....
The same rhyme occurred in *ready for Freddie*, meaning 'ready for the
unexpected, the unknown or the unusual' (DOAS), an American phrase that came
out of the 'L'il Abner' comic strip. 'Are you ready for Freddy?' was used as
a slogan to promote _Nightmare on Elm Street - Part 4_ (1989) referring to
Freddy Krueger, a gruesome character in the film.
"Aw, beat it, gunsel! ... Go get ready for Freddy!" (Chester Himes, _Cast
the First Stone_, 1952)
"Besides, I hadn't gotten petted in about a week and I was ready-Freddy."
(_National Lampoon_, April 1972)
Does "ready for Freddy" have something to do with "ready (or eager) for the
fray."?
"My soul's in arms and eager for the fray." (_Richard III_ V.iii.)
Regards
masakim
Garry J. Vass
news:97olon$4gj$1...@slb7.atl.mindspring.net...
> I am very interested in the meaning(s) of the expression
> "Ready for Freddy." Also, who originated it? Where? And when?
> I am particularly interested in finding out who "Freddy" is.
> Can anyone tell me?
>
The most likely source is that "Freddy" is a play on "Federal Penitentiary"
or eponymous for a prison in upstate New York. This etymology, however, is
unconfirmed. The catch-phrase was popularised during Rudolph Guiliani's
tenure as District Attorney...
Kind regards,
GJV
--
English language FAQ: http://www.yaelf.com
meirm...@erols.com
<ga...@totally-official.com> posted:
I think Giuliani was a federal prosecutor, not a DA. That goes a lot
better with federal pen, but about which I know nothing else.
>
>Kind regards,
>GJV
Schainbaum, Robert
>
> In alt.english.usage on Fri, 2 Mar 2001 22:42:39 -0000 "Garry J. Vass"
> <ga...@totally-official.com> posted:
>
> >"charles silver" <silv...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
> >news:97olon$4gj$1...@slb7.atl.mindspring.net...
> I think Giuliani was a federal prosecutor, not a DA. That goes a lot
> better with federal pen, but about which I know nothing else.
> >
It's commonly believed that the Federal prison system is cushier than
the counterpart state prison systems. A criminal's maxim, "If you get
get caught, make sure it's the Feds who catch you."
/r
Sam Hinton
silv...@mindspring.com, wrote:
>I am very interested in the meaning(s) of the expression
>"Ready for Freddy." Also, who originated it? Where? And when?
>I am particularly interested in finding out who "Freddy" is.
***********************
As an old retired and somewhat sequestered academician, I can't be trusted to
tell anyone how a phrase is used currently. but I THINK this one signifies
that someone is prepared for bad things to happen. The phrase was coined by Al
Capp in his comic strip, _Li'l Abner_, probably in the '40s or '50s. After
several weeks of running suspense about the meaning of the phrase, it was
revealed that Freddy was the undertaker, and anyone ready for him was about to
die. I think there was then an inevitability associated with the phrase, but
it later came to mean that someone was prepared to cope with whatever situation
might present itself. A Google search for "Ready Freddy" turns up more than
28,000 hits. One of them contains a list of items you should take with you if
you are evacuated from your home area, and it's called "Be ready LIKE Freddy."
Another site includes a game using the term in more of its original meaning;
you have to indicate on a list whether or not a named person is dead or
otherwise. A protean term!
Sam
La Jolla, CA USA
charles silver
Sam Hinton wrote in message
<20010303101721...@ng-ma1.aol.com>...
I think your explanation is one of the best, despite the fact
of your self-described sequestered academic situation. The Li'l
Abner cartoon surprised me. So did Maskim's response: "Aw, beat
it, gunsel! ... Go get ready for Freddy!" (Chester Himes, _Cast
the First Stone_, 1952)." The Federal Penitentiary connection
also seemed interesting.
Something no one mentioned, to my surprise concerns its
prevalence by jazz musicians. I think it's often used right
before the beginning of a set. "Are you ready for Freddy?" As
several of you mentioned, this might just be a particularization
of the general point: Are you ready for anything (even perhaps
the undertaker)? But, I'm wondering whether in the jazz world
it acquired special significance. And, I'm also wondering
whether it may have been associated with one particular "Freddy."
Some people have suggested Freddy Hubbard as the Freddy, but as
far as I know he didn' t really become popular until the 60's,
and I'm sure this expression was common in jazz way before that.
(It also may be the case that Freddy Hubbard wrote and played a
tune called "Ready for Freddy," but that would have been after
the fact of the existence of the expression rather being its
origin.)
So, if any of you have any insight into the jazz use of the
phrase, I'd be once again very grateful.
Thank you all.
Charlie Silver
Donna Richoux
> Sam Hinton wrote in message
[snip]
>>The phrase was coined by Al Capp in
>>his comic strip, _Li'l Abner_, probably in the '40s or '50s. After
>> several weeks of running suspense about the meaning of the phrase, it
>>was revealed that Freddy was the undertaker, and anyone ready for him
>>was about to die. I think there was then an inevitability associated
>>with the phrase, but it later came to mean that someone was prepared
>>to cope with whatever situation might present itself. A Google search
>>for "Ready Freddy" turns up more than 28,000 hits.
[snip]
>
> Something no one mentioned, to my surprise concerns its
> prevalence by jazz musicians. I think it's often used right
> before the beginning of a set. "Are you ready for Freddy?" As
> several of you mentioned, this might just be a particularization
> of the general point: Are you ready for anything (even perhaps
> the undertaker)? But, I'm wondering whether in the jazz world
> it acquired special significance. And, I'm also wondering
> whether it may have been associated with one particular "Freddy."
> Some people have suggested Freddy Hubbard as the Freddy, but as
> far as I know he didn' t really become popular until the 60's,
> and I'm sure this expression was common in jazz way before that.
> (It also may be the case that Freddy Hubbard wrote and played a
> tune called "Ready for Freddy," but that would have been after
> the fact of the existence of the expression rather being its
> origin.)
>
> So, if any of you have any insight into the jazz use of the
> phrase, I'd be once again very grateful.
The Pocket Dictionary of American Slang (1968) supports Sam's position.
It says,
> ready for Freddie. Ready, especially for the unexpected, the unknown, or
> the unusual. Originated and popularized in syndicated newspaper comic
> strip "Li'l Abner."
Nothing in there either about jazz music or prison slang. Both jazz and
prison slang are pretty well documented so if either was the origin or
most common early use, I would expect them to say so. Even jazz
musicians and criminals use terms they themselves did not invent.
The lure of a good rhyme... There was probably never any real Steven in
even-steven, either.
--
Best --- Donna Richoux
Bill McCray
>As an old retired and somewhat sequestered academician, I can't be trusted to
>tell anyone how a phrase is used currently. but I THINK this one signifies
>that someone is prepared for bad things to happen. The phrase was coined by Al
>Capp in his comic strip, _Li'l Abner_, probably in the '40s or '50s. After
>several weeks of running suspense about the meaning of the phrase, it was
>revealed that Freddy was the undertaker, and anyone ready for him was about to
>die.
I'm sure that was "Are you ready for Betty?" Pappy Yocum found a
flyer with that phrase and the address. He decided that he was ready.
Mammy Yocum tried to talk him out of going, but to no avail. He got
himself all dressed up and carrying flowers and/or candy (I don't
recall which) went looking for Betty. When he got to the address on
the flyer, it was the Betty Funeral Home.
Bill McCray
Lexington, KY
meirm...@erols.com
Robert" <Robert.S...@Berlin.DE> posted:
I was in a hurry. I meant I don't if Freddy is the fed pen, as he was
saying. :(
>/r
meirm...@erols.com
BillM...@mindspring.com (Bill McCray) posted:
>On 03 Mar 2001 15:17:21 GMT, slhin...@aol.com (Sam Hinton) wrote:
>
>>As an old retired and somewhat sequestered academician, I can't be trusted to
>>tell anyone how a phrase is used currently. but I THINK this one signifies
>>that someone is prepared for bad things to happen. The phrase was coined by Al
>>Capp in his comic strip, _Li'l Abner_, probably in the '40s or '50s. After
>>several weeks of running suspense about the meaning of the phrase, it was
>>revealed that Freddy was the undertaker, and anyone ready for him was about to
>>die.
>
>I'm sure that was "Are you ready for Betty?"
Never fail to consider the possibility that both things are true. In
this area and others. One may be a spin-off of the other. In this
case, it was a comic strip, after all.
> Pappy Yocum found a
>flyer with that phrase and the address. He decided that he was ready.
>
>Mammy Yocum tried to talk him out of going, but to no avail. He got
>himself all dressed up and carrying flowers and/or candy (I don't
>recall which) went looking for Betty. When he got to the address on
>the flyer, it was the Betty Funeral Home.
>
>Bill McCray
>Lexington, KY
jan sand
Relevant to almost nothing in this thread, the only Waldo I knew about
was from a story by Robert Heinlein that originally appeared in
Astounding Science Fiction in, I believe, the late 1940's about a
genius wo invented a pair of cybernetic robot hands that could be made
large enough to lift a house or small enough to do nerve surgery. The
protagonist, Waldo, suffered from Myasthena Gravis and had no strength
in his own arms and hands so he needed the prosthetics to do his work.
He lived with a dog and a canary in a satellite because he operated
more freely in a gravity free environment. Scientists today call
remote control hands used in working with highly radioactive materials
waldos, more or less derived from the Heinlein story.
Jan Sand
John Varela
> in the '40s or '50s. After several weeks of running suspense about the
> meaning of the phrase, it was revealed that Freddy was the undertaker, and
> anyone ready for him was about to die.
I recall the original "Ready for Freddy" series. I am quite certain it was in
the '40s. Then it was repeated some time not long before the strip died (the
'60s?). It wasn't nearly as funny the second time around.
--
John Varela
Evan Kirshenbaum
> How could you if you don't live in the US. For one thing, Wally was
> Beaver Cleaver's older brother and a darn likeable guy. Sometimes
> unsure of himself for a little bit, but often quite confident and
> never a nerd. I keep thinking there are some other respected
> Wallaces or Wallys here but I can't think of them.
There's Wally Gator.
--
Evan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------
HP Laboratories |If to "man" a phone implies handing
1501 Page Mill Road, Building 1U |it over to a person of the male
Palo Alto, CA 94304 |gender, then to "monitor" it
|suggests handing it over to a
kirsh...@hpl.hp.com |lizard.
(650)857-7572 | Rohan Oberoi
Roberta Davies
>
> Ten years ago, I was talking to a girl 10 years younger than I, and
> she asked something about a popular character Waldo, who he was? I
> said Waldo was Riley's friend on The Life of Riley. She said, What's
> The Life of Riley? I said, the TV series with William Bendix. She
> said, Who's William Bendix?
>
> Days or weeks later it turned out it wasn't that Waldo at all. It was
> a new one from the comic book or cartoon puzzle Where's Waldo. *I'd*
> never heard of that.
Known as "Where's Wally?" in the original UK version. Changed to
"Waldo" for the American market because the name "Waldo" has
similar general connotations in the US as "Wally" in the UK --
kind of nerdish or anorak-y.
I know the books sold widely all over the world. Does anyone
know what the character was called in any non-English-speaking
countries? Did the name retain this mildly pejorative
connotation in each country?
(For those who aren't sure: We're discussing a series of puzzle
books containing detailed cartoon pictures of crowds of people.
The object was to scan the pictures until you found the character
Wally, a nerdish fellow with big glasses, who was somewhere on
each page. Very popular, especially among children, for a few
years.)
Robbie
Tim Coleman
<roberta...@virgin.net> wrote:
> meirm...@erols.com wrote:
>>
>> Ten years ago, I was talking to a girl 10 years younger than I, and she
>> asked something about a popular character Waldo, who he was? I said
>> Waldo was Riley's friend on The Life of Riley. She said, What's The
>> Life of Riley? I said, the TV series with William Bendix. She said,
>> Who's William Bendix?
>>
>> Days or weeks later it turned out it wasn't that Waldo at all. It was
>> a new one from the comic book or cartoon puzzle Where's Waldo. *I'd*
>> never heard of that.
>
> Known as "Where's Wally?" in the original UK version. Changed to
> "Waldo" for the American market because the name "Waldo" has
> similar general connotations in the US as "Wally" in the UK -- kind of
> nerdish or anorak-y.
>
I still don't understand why UKers have problems with anoraks.
I also don't understand how "Waldo" is any more nerdish than
"Wally". I also don't think that Waldo looks all that nerdish.
--
Tim Coleman <t...@epenguin.org> [43.28 N 80.31 W]
Software Developer/Systems Administrator/RDBMS Specialist/Linux Advocate
University of Waterloo Honours Co-op Combinatorics & Optimization
"Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company." -- Mark Twain
meirm...@erols.com
<t...@epenguin.org> posted:
>In article <3AB16533...@virgin.net>, "Roberta Davies"
><roberta...@virgin.net> wrote:
>
>> meirm...@erols.com wrote:
>>>
>>> Ten years ago, I was talking to a girl 10 years younger than I, and she
>>> asked something about a popular character Waldo, who he was? I said
Actually I think the girl used the words "Where's Waldo" in the very
first place, but I thought it was a real question and went straight to
the only Waldo I knew.
>>> Waldo was Riley's friend on The Life of Riley. She said, What's The
>>> Life of Riley? I said, the TV series with William Bendix. She said,
>>> Who's William Bendix?
>>>
>>> Days or weeks later it turned out it wasn't that Waldo at all. It was
>>> a new one from the comic book or cartoon puzzle Where's Waldo. *I'd*
>>> never heard of that.
>>
>> Known as "Where's Wally?" in the original UK version. Changed to
>> "Waldo" for the American market because the name "Waldo" has
>> similar general connotations in the US as "Wally" in the UK -- kind of
>> nerdish or anorak-y.
>>
>
>I still don't understand why UKers have problems with anoraks.
>I also don't understand how "Waldo" is any more nerdish than
>"Wally".
How could you if you don't live in the US. For one thing, Wally was
Beaver Cleaver's older brother and a darn likeable guy. Sometimes
unsure of himself for a little bit, but often quite confident and
never a nerd. I keep thinking there are some other respected Wallaces
or Wallys here but I can't think of them. I don't think Walter
Cronkite or Wallace Simpson count. There's Wally Walrace but I
wouldn't want to take after him.
> I also don't think that Waldo looks all that nerdish.
mei...@QQQerols.com If you email me, please let me know whether
remove the QQQ or not you are posting the same letter.
peter.m...@gmail.com
> I am very interested in the meaning(s) of the expression
> I am particularly interested in finding out who "Freddy" is.
I followed Gotti around that day and was allowed to follow him until he actually went into lockup. What happened that afternoon is he took of his Bruno Magli's and of his guys handed him a pair of brand new sneakers. He turned to us one last time and uttered those words; "I am ready for Freddy." I asked what that meant and was told it was a reference to an old television show. No idea beyond that and I never checked any further.
Peter
tony cooper
wrote:
deeply resentful of being passed over in favor of Michael Corleone and
betrays Michael.
--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida
John Varela
1940s Al Capp repeated the question "Are you ready for Freddie?" for
weeks in his "Li'l Abner" comic strip. It turned out that Freddie
was the undertaker. National attention was focused on who was
Freddie. As I recall, about 20 years later Capp was running out of
ideas and tried repeating the "Are you ready for Freddie?" ploy but
that time no one paid attention.
I find this in Google Groups, for alt.english.usage, of all places:
<quote>
Donna Richoux Sign in to reply More message actions 3/3/01
Other recipients:
[snip]
>>The phrase was coined by Al Capp in
>>his comic strip, _Li'l Abner_, probably in the '40s or '50s.
After
>> several weeks of running suspense about the meaning of the
phrase, it
>>was revealed that Freddy was the undertaker, and anyone ready for
him
--
John Varela
arch...@aol.com
THE COLONEL
news:9604f7a7-499d-4f00...@googlegroups.com...
>> I am very interested in the meaning(s) of the expression
>> "Ready for Freddy." Also, who originated it? Where? And when?
>> I am particularly interested in finding out who "Freddy" is.
Richard Owlett
When I was a teenager in Upstate NY in late 50's, "Are you ready
for Freddy?" was a common question when there was an upcoming
IMPORTANT exam.
THE COLONEL
news:dOadnfyBsMI2lafP...@supernews.com...
phaggs.
Richard Owlett
THE COLONEL
jjo...@famoustate.com
> I am very interested in the meaning(s) of the expression
> "Ready for Freddy." Also, who originated it? Where? And when?
> I am particularly interested in finding out who "Freddy" is.
Bill McCray
got all dressed up and took flowers to go and visit Betty, only to find
that it was a Funeral Home. Why would he have done that if it was
"Ready for Freddy"? (Well, maybe today, but not back then.)
Maybe the strip used both lines at different times.
Bill in Kentucky
John Varela
different strip. I am unfamiliar with "and Freddy is ready for you."
"Are you ready for Freddy" was introduced in the late 1940s, IINM.
The mystery went on for weeks and the question of who was Freddy was
a puzzle of nationwide scope. Years later, as his strip was losing
popularity, Capp tried to repeat the success of "Ready for Freddy"
but no one bit and again IIRC the strip folded not long after.
--
John Varela
bethl...@gmail.com
bethl...@gmail.com
This phrase has been around for a very long time, my mom is 78. She is the one who taught me this phrase without informing of the meaning, many years ago. I guess I need to check out other phrases that she taught me as a little girl lol!
Richard Owlett
> My mother just recently told me this phrase that I had used many a time and had no idea of the meaning either, means are you ready for death....
> This phrase has been around for a very long time, my mom is 78. She is the one who taught me this phrase without informing of the meaning, many years ago. I guess I need to check out other phrases that she taught me as a little girl lol!
>
Back in the 50's it meant "Are you ready for the upcoming exam?"
In my classes it usually referred to one teacher's quizzes.
John Varela
the undertaker?" Using it to mean "Are you ready for the upcoming
exam?" is a legitimate metaphorical use of the question.
--
John Varela
fook...@gmail.com
> I am very interested in the meaning(s) of the expression
> "Ready for Freddy." Also, who originated it? Where? And when?
> I am particularly interested in finding out who "Freddy" is.
> Can anyone tell me?
>
> Thank you in advance.
>
> Charlie Silver
> silv...@mindspring.com
bon...@gmail.com
In my grandmother's day there was a cartoon (drawn, because there was no TV in those days) and one of the characters was Freddy the Undertaker. I tried to google it but because there is now a wrestler who uses that name it is difficult to get to the info I'm looking for.
Since this Freddy the Undertaker predates any of these other answers, because my grandmother wrote definitions for a major dictionary, I tend to believe my mother'a version of what "ready for Freddy" means.
I think it is hilarious. Who of is hasn't been so tired at the end of the day that we were ready for a death-like sleep.
If anyone can dig up more info of this cartoon, I'd love to see it.
Catharine
John Varela
If you know how to find the advanced search function that used to be
in Google Groups you might try there. Meanwhile, look at
alt.english.usage.narkive.com/PHjwjoH1/ready-for-freddy
The bottom line is that Al Capp invented the phrase in his Li'l
Abner comic strip.
--
John Varela
chaz...@gmail.com
> I am very interested in the meaning(s) of the expression
> "Ready for Freddy." Also, who originated it? Where? And when?
> I am particularly interested in finding out who "Freddy" is.
> Can anyone tell me?
>
> Thank you in advance.
>
> Charlie Silver
> silv...@mindspring.com
frederi...@cox.net
John Varela
--
John Varela
jahove...@gmail.com
> I am very interested in the meaning(s) of the expression
> "Ready for Freddy." Also, who originated it? Where? And when?
> I am particularly interested in finding out who "Freddy" is.
> Can anyone tell me?
>
> Thank you in advance.
>
> Charlie Silver
> silv...@mindspring.com
singm...@gmail.com
> Thinking of Freddy Krüger, the rahter famous horror character who seizes his
> victims' souls by worming his way into their dreams. I could imagine that
> it's some kind of mocking or teasing when you ask someone 'Ready for
> Freddy?'
> Regards, Ingo
The phrase pre-dates Freddy Kruger by decades!