Mop Flops & Ball Bounces; Popcorn (verb)

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MOP FLOPS & BALL BOUNCES

   Cookie crumbling companions.  Neither is in the OED?...The "ball bouncing" phrase appears to be from the Korean War...BALL BOUNCING OT: I wanted Xavier and St. Joes.


(WWW.NEWSPAPERARCHIVE.COM)("Mop flops")
Progress - 3/5/1956
...one of the children had "That's the way the MOP FLOPS" is added to expressions of Eastern..
Clearfield, Pennsylvania   Monday, March 05, 1956  823 k

Zanesville Signal - 10/5/1956
...can call it that, was: "That's the way the MOP FLOPS." And now: "That's the way the..
Zanesville, Ohio   Friday, October 05, 1956  868 k

Great Bend Daily Tribune - 3/18/1956
...school had no objection, home. I he way ihe MOP FLOPS" Plo-Moi' Glib McO I S is added to..
Great Bend, Kansas   Sunday, March 18, 1956  723 k


(WWW.NEWSPAPERARCHIVE.COM)("Ball bounces")
Independent Record - 8/10/1952
...Freddy" is being pretty ready. "THE WAY THE BALL BOUNCES" denotes luck. "Ricky tick" is.....America. Child's Garden Book A pleasant WAY to introduce chil dren to THE joys of.....assitting. THEy are convinced that THE only WAY that THEir aspectof THEir surgeon here.....voice, action, sight, wit and a debonair WAY about it. THINK of it? Why, THE whole..
Helena, Montana   Sunday, August 10, 1952  784 k

East Liverpool Review - 12/28/1952
...THE soldiers coined "That's THE WAY THE BALL BOUNCES." meaning what was foredained to.....New wars, new speech. That's THE WAY THE BALL BOUNCES. THEorists Unfrocked By Raymond.....out an alarm. But if he keeps singing THE WAY he has been singing THE last few days, he.....THEy urged THEir comrades to get on THE BALL; girl friends were Mam'selles or..
East Liverpool, Ohio   Sunday, December 28, 1952  713 k

Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune - 10/30/1942
...bearing on it. In a tight game THE WAY THE BALL BOUNCES is very important. It won't be a.....over THE 500 mark, E. Rasmussen showed THE WAY with 599. A team mate, E. Tess, ranked.....has averaged 6.7 yards in 18 times with THE BALL getting to THE 5-yard line on a 35-yard.....Hinkle, is replacing THE veteran all THE WAY. In addition to gaining representation..
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin   Friday, October 30, 1942  945 k

Troy Record - 12/31/1943
...would probably all depend "on which WAY THE BALL BOUNCES." Coach Bill Alexander didn't.....Loop With Snyder and Rafferty showing THE WAY, THE Night Hawks took over first place in.....with Al Akins and Sam Robinson carrying THE BALL and passing. THE Trojans still were.....in 11 and Rafferty had ten to pave THE WAY for THE Night Hawks while McGrath had..
Troy, New York   Friday, December 31, 1943  876 k


(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
Georgia Tech Slight Choice Over Tulsans
The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Dec 31, 1943. p. 13 (1 page):
   Lowell (Red) Dawson, backfield mentor at Minnesota, wasn't so certain about his choice and said that it would probably all depend "on which way the ball bounces."

That's the Way the Ball Bounces'; The Allied Landings In this phrase is summed up the front-line philosophy of Sgt. Nedzweckas, a veteran of the Korean fighting from Inchon to today's stalemate. The Race to the Yalu The Winter of Retreat The Continuing Stalemate
By GEORGE BARRETT KOREA.. New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Nov 23, 1952. p. SM14 (5 pages)

   WHERE'S MY HOME TOWN?
HERB BRIN. Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, Calif.: Dec 3, 1952. p. A5 (1 page):
   But mailmen tell us our address is Pasadena 3 because, logically, that's the way the ball bounces.

U. N. KOREA TROOPS DEVELOP A 'LINGO'; Local and Japanese Words Form Part of Pidgin Tongue All Soldiers Understand
Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Dec 7, 1952. p. 4 (1 page):
   Another more or less fatalistic expression widely used is, "That's the way the ball bounces," meaning that's the way things are and there isn't much that you can do about it.

Well -- That's The Way the Ball Bounces
The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959). Washington, D.C.: Jun 20, 1954. p. C4 (1 page)

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POPCORN (VERB)

   "Ball bounces" is here, but this is too great not to share the whole thing.
   Andrew Smith (OXFORD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN FOOD AND DRINK) insists that I owe him a "turkey dog with ketchup," but I hope that the "popcorn" and "hamburger in the headline" here are equally filling.


(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
Madison Avenue Gobbledygook; 'An Intimate Message From New York'
By Harry C. Kenney. Christian Science Monitor (1908-Current file). Boston, Mass.: Apr 11, 1955. p. 16 (1 page):
NEW YORK
   Recently at lunch with a Madison Avenue friend, I remarked that it had long been my desire to "do a piece" on the advertising man's lingo.  He replied: "Why don't you put some grease on the cat and see if it comes back."  Or, go ahead, "Maybe your compass is pointing true north."
   I no more than "dropped this idea down the well to see how big a splash it would make," when I received "over-the-transom," or unsolicited encouragement, in the form of "The Holiday Advertising Man's Diary."
   This booklet clearly illustrated that advertising people are not above smiling at their own foibles.  At the same time they are quick to point out that consumers are buying up the nation's productivity and that the Madison Avenues all over the country are largely responsible for it.
   So, after "swivel-chairing" and "popcorning" the idea around "the mill" for a few days, I decided to join "the boys" and let the King's English fall where it may and have some fun.
   Since the whole thing is "right off the top of my head"--it may not be a good idea--I decided to talk it over with Sir Boss.  But he was "in conference," (no one knew where he was).  But "that's the way the ball bounces."  Sometimes things don't go so good.
   It's too late to ask anyone to "rush in and put out the brush fire" or help, help!  So I'm going ahead under a "side-saddle opinion"--I'd rather not commit myself.  Thus this piece is what is known as a fishing trip or "Let's see what the client thinks."
   Of course Sir Boss could well "blow me out of the tub" for this--you and your ideas--but I took "a long look through the keyhole" and decided it could be "practicalized" into "dramatic plus" with everyone grabbing "the brass ring of success."
   The advertising man is a law-abiding citizen.  He usually owns a nice home, has children, votes, and attends PTA meetings.  But drop into his own Ad Alley and you have entered a new world.
   There are such crisp remarks as "circular-file that one"--drop it in the basket, it's not my idea.  "Better make a mother-in-law survey"--call home and see of anyone is watching television.  "I can't put my finger on it, but I don't think it will go"--I don't understand it.  "Let's get all our ducks in a row"--the client will be here in five minutes!
   Occasionally the top executive of an agency will rush back from a "snowed under" luncheon--one that took two hours--and call his men together on an account.  He has some conclusions: "A growing body of opinion" or two division managers agree that it is time for trying a "guinea pig for size."  Try it out on a small scale  before we get stuck on a big scale.
   Or he will say "Opinion is widely held"--meaning two division managers agree--that it is time to "send up a trial balloon and see which way the wind blows."  We'll get our client in a huddle and see if he is reading the advertising.
   Finally, "Opinion is unanimous."  The President thinks this is the answer.
   If you have an account on Madison Avenue, your product will be properly "kicked around, brooded over, and cross-polinated."  You can be sure there will be enough "hamburger in the headline" or plenty of sizzle.