re left, left, left my wife etc.

[Baker, John]

Littell's Living Age (via Making of America (Cornell)) has this story (in an article about Irish step-dancing, not military recruits) in 1885.  It's older, and less American, than I thought:
 
>>lThere is a story told of a certain mayor who did not know how to dance; and as there was to be the customary ball on St. Patrick's night at the vice-regal court, at which he was, as is usual, to dance with her Excellency, he hired a private room, and when his shop was closed at night, went there, where a dancing-master met him to teach him his steps, unknown, as he hoped, to any one.  Unfortunately, it leaked out, and some people annoyed the poor mayor sorely by standing outsdie the window and saying:  "Right foot, left foot, hay foot, straw foot.  Faix, thin, an' Paddy 'tis you as can soon _fut_ the floor."  The origin of hay foot, straw foot, was, that when, as is sometimes the case, the right foot or hand was not known from the left, a dancing-master often tied a wisp of hay on one foot and of straw on the other, and thus forcibly impressed the difference.>>
 
 
John Baker
 

________________________________

From: American Dialect Society on behalf of Charles Doyle
Sent: Sun 2/18/2007 4:17 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: re left, left, left my wife etc.



I've heard and read this little legend told about rustic military recruits in every war from the American Revolution (with a German drill master) through WWII.

What I've always found amusing is the subtle tribute the legend pays to the SAVY of the recruits, able to differentiate hay from straw--an abiilty certainly not shared by their cosmopolitan fellows.

--Charlie
_____________________________________________________

---- Original message ----
>Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 12:23:23 -0500
>From: "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU>
>Subject: Re: re left, left, left my wife etc.
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
>---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU>
>Subject:      Re: re left, left, left my wife etc.
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Judith,
>
>Us hillbillies was sposed to be so dumb than when we went to the army they had to tie hay on one foot (the left) and straw on the other (the right) so that they could give us marching commands (since we didn't know our left from our right). This was very common folklore around Louisville in the 40s and 50s. Not surprising that Akron (with its large Appalachian immigrant work force) would have such scurrilous stuff about my people. (Well, half my people.)
>
>dInIs
>
>
>
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       Judith Marie <Judith_H_Marie at COMPUSERVE.COM>
>>Subject:      re left, left, left my wife etc.
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Hi, I'm a new member and thrilled to find you.. I found out about your
>>organization when I was searching for the exact words to the old marching
>>ditty: "Left, left, left my wife, etc."
>>
>>And Google came up with an exchange of mail in your organization (dated
>>from sometime last year) reciting a transcription somewhat different from
>>the one I remember which is:
>>
>>Left, left, left my wife and 49 kids an old gray mare and a peanut stand.
>>Did I do right, right, right from the country where I come from, hayfoot,
>>strawfoot, shift by jingle (you make a little jump from right foot to left
>>foot at this point and start the ditty over) left, left "
>>
>>This is from Akron, Ohio, in the 1940s. Are any of you familiar with this
>>version? And what do hayfoot and strawfoot mean anyway?
>>Judith Hamilton
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>
>--
>Dennis R. Preston
>University Distinguished Professor
>Department of English
>15C Morrill Hall
>Michigan State University
>East Lansing, MI 48824
>517-353-4736
>preston at msu.edu
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org