Re: She she she, Merry Xmas?

trio@xxxxxxxxxx (Donna Richoux) writes:

I don't find any record of Santa going "ho ho" in the 19th century, and,
given the erratic nature of Google Books dating, nothing for sure until
1948-1953. Maybe some pop Christmas jingle promoted it.

I see it (in the mouth of a department store Santa) in the _New York
Times_ in 1942. It first shows up in the _Los Angeles Times_ in an ad
in 1951.

I thought you'd be interested in this one:

The American Mercury - Page 62
1951
At Christmas time, youngsters in Germany and Britain can telephone
their gift requests direct to Santa Claus. "Ho, ho, ho, this is
Father Christmas here, ...

And as for "ho ho" signifying jollity, there's Rabelais in 1823, and
Dickens later.

I suspect that a more proximate influence may have been

Ha-ha-ha! Ho-ho-ho! and a couple of tra-la-las
That's how we laugh the day away in the merry old Land of Oz.

from the 1939 movie.

--
Evan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------
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1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |not to fall into Spooner's trap
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(650)857-7572

http://www.kirshenbaum.net/


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