Pre-Historic Evolution of the Bee's Knees

[Jonathan Lighter]

The cites pretty much speak for themselves, but the upshot is that  "bee's
[or bees'] knees" were conceptually introduced into American pop culture by
the comedian Joe Weber (1867-1942) of the celebrated vaudeville team of
Weber and Fields by the end of 1905.  It took another fifteen years or so
for the memorable phrase to be enshrined as an idiom meaning "the height of
excellence; something wonderful."

The 1920 attribution of the phrase to "Uncle Remus" appears to be spurious,
though perhaps some blackface comedian so styled was using it on the stage
at that time.

The phrase was effectively reintroduced, at least as an artifact, by an
episode of _I Love Lucy_ in the 1950s.


[1905 _Elmira (N.Y.) Gazette and Free Press_ (Apr. 22) [unp.]: When you wish
something particularly toothsome, Joe Weber says try chickens’ elbows,
clubfoot sandwiches or bees’ knees fricasseed.  1914*  _*Des Moines News_
(Jan. 29) 10: “Vot does he eat?” “He likes bees’ knees.” “BEES’ KNEES?”
“Yess [sic], sure – bees’ knees. He is very fond of them.”  1915 _Binghamton
(N.Y.) Press_ (Feb. 25) 5:  The club will hold another banquet next year and
already is contracting for bees’ knees and humming-bird tongues. 1916 _The
Editorial_   816 [Google Books]: Other airy-fairy dishes which
suggest the "bees' knees and gnats' knuckles" of burlesque stage memory.]
1920* _*The Postal Record_ XXXIII (Oct.) 266: Our long, weary, discouraging
fight was won….As Uncle Remus says, “Dat sure am de honey of the [sic] bee’s
knees.” 1921 *  _*Bridgeport (Conn.) Telegram_ (July 21) 14: The…carnival in
August will be the bees knees.



(Wafted by the winds of time, the leaves of the calendar indicate the
passage of years...):

2007  _Cow-orker TIPping_ [sic]* *[
http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?p=3721864]  (Oct. 10):
Those kinky hand cranked minstrels are the bees' butt.   2009 _GreenChoby_
[http://www.greenchoby.com/]: Neither moribund, nor bellicose, less than
vacuous [sic]. Truly folk-to-funk and all that other junk. These guys are
the bees' butt, baby.  2009 _GlockTalk_ [
http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=14263405]  (Nov. 30):  This
is just excellent work. Superior craftsmanship ! It's the bee's ass.

JL

-- 
"There You Go Again...Using Reason on the Planet of the Duck-Billed
Platypus"

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