ENGINEERS HAVE HAIRY EARS
I've heard the phrase many times since my graduation as an electrical engineer back in 1968. I'd always thought that it was from Ogden Nash, but the origin is much older - and mostly unprintable. Most recently it has been associated with the Army's engineering battalions, dating back to (at least) WW I. Here are two of the least bawdy variants:
- An Anonymous WWI Soldier
- 36h Engineer Combat Regiment (WW II)
- Motto: RUGGED
There is some evidence that the origin may be an Ozark folksong, The Mountaineers, which is quite bawdy.
The Engineers have hairy ears,
they live in caves and ditches,
But when the trouble starts,
they fight like sons of witches
- An Anonymous WWI Soldier
The Engineers have hairy ears
They live in caves and ditches
They wipe their ass with broken glass
They're rugged sons of bitches.
- 36h Engineer Combat Regiment (WW II)
- Motto: RUGGED
There is some evidence that the origin may be an Ozark folksong, The Mountaineers, which is quite bawdy.
posted by Michael Hankamer at 9:41 PM
2 Comments:
My WWII veteran father (Field Artillery; OCS), would sing it as follows: The engineers have hairy ears/They slap their leather britches/They wipe their ass on broken glass/And laugh, because it itches.
Thanks for the update.
MH
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