HARDY HAR HAR

[Wilson Gray]

On May 5, 2004, at 9:52 AM, George Thompson wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       George Thompson <george.thompson at NYU.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: HARDY HAR HAR
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
>> HARDY HAR HAR
>>
>> HARDY HAR HAR--9.590 Google hits, 10,200 Google Groups hits
>> HARDEE HAR HAR--710 Google hits, 1,300 Google Groups hits
>>
>>   I couldn't find this one before the cartoon character, although
>> "har har" is much older.
>>
>>
>> (WWW.NEWSPAPERARCHIVE.COM)
>> Valley Independent - 3/16/1968
>> ...in their eyes, "Mother ran a tight HARDY HAR HAR. My husband
>> would have a fit because..
>> Monessen, Pennsylvania   Saturday, March 16, 1968  690 k
>>
>> Coshocton Tribune - 9/8/1968
>> ...to Abilene, Kansas. Ike said HARDY-HAR-HAR and called for a
>> shootin' Western. By..
>> Coshocton, Ohio   Sunday, September 08, 1968  776 k
>>
>>
>> (PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
>> To Change the Subject:; Looney Language
>> By John C. Waugh. Christian Science Monitor (1908-Current file).
>> Boston, Mass.: Jul 12, 1962. p. 9 (1 page):
>>   Thus, we get Millicent the Monstrous Monster, Louie the Loan
>> Shark, Hopalong Wong,the Illegal Eagle, Hardy Har Har Hardhead,
>> the Dreaded Three-Headed Threep, and High Fly Cy the Hi Fi Fly.
>>
>
> Was this not the sound that Ralph Kramden used to make when laughing
> scornfully at sensible advice from Alice?
>
> GAT
>
> George A. Thompson
> Author of A Documentary History of "The African
> Theatre", Northwestern Univ. Pr., 1998.
>

Yes, Jackie Gleason did use it as part of the shtick of his "The
Honeymooners" character, Ralph Kramden. It dates to at least 1955, when
the TV show began. He also used an extended version:
har-de-har-har-har! By the time that he made it to TV, Gleason had
already been in showbiz for decades. So, it may not be possible to
track down an exact date.

-Wilson Gray