[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] "Squareheads"... D:)

richard benert benovich at imt.net
Thu Dec 16 21:35:54 PST 2004


Oh come now.  We don't need to attribute a song about 3-cornered hats to 
anything other than the fact that everyone wore them in the 18th century.  I 
have a T-shirt with Frederick the Great wearing one.  But better proof can 
be found in any book on the history of clothing styles.

Dick Benert
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ed S" <esonnenburg at porchlight.ca>
To: <ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2004 8:22 PM
Subject: Re: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] "Squareheads"... D:)


> That song about the three sided hat is probably a jab at the French and 
> English since even Napoleon wore one.
>
>
> At 07:54 PM 16/12/04, you wrote:
>>Well Ed and Listers,
>>    It appears Ed and I have started something that may make Lloyd's 
>> original question very unique in response.  This just proves we GR 
>> descendants have a great sense of humour; pardon the Royal Monarchy 
>> spelling; and we are able to laugh at ourselves, much unlike other 
>> nationalities!
>>    Truth be told, I'm more than sure this slang term originated long 
>> before the Americans hung this title on us; it goes back as far as the 
>> Vikings and other Scandinavian people.  Germans were never part of 
>> Scandinavia; but through generations their facial features remained 
>> rather strongly square jawed with prominent cheek bones and eye sockets, 
>> giving an appearance of a square face.  Their distinction in the true 
>> sense of terms, most German born males in the past were fair skinned and 
>> fair haired. It was difficult for many to grow beards due to this fair 
>> haired issue.  As they evolved, their features remained, but the areas 
>> they settled in had changed their appearances to encompass not only the 
>> fair haired but often took on more of Mongolian traits through inter 
>> marriages.  If this hypothesis is true, why on earth did the Germans 
>> concoct the bier trinken lied:
>>    "Mein hut der hat drei ecken, drei ecken hat mein hut;
>>    Und hdtt Er nicht drei ecken, dann wdr ist nicht mein hut!"
>>Sounds rather like trying to stick a square plug into a round hole doesn't 
>>it.  Why a 3 cornered hat?
>>I can surely understand the need for kegs of beer to sing this song!
>>Donna
>>torhaus at telus.net
>>
>>PS... any second now, Jerry is going to write to tell us to knock it off. 
>>We'll be good Jerry!
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Ed S" <esonnenburg at porchlight.ca>
>>To: <ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org>
>>Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2004 4:44 PM
>>Subject: Re: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] "Squareheads"... D:)
>>
>>
>>Germans tend to see things in black and white so come across very square 
>>to others.
>>The German language is supposedly a soldier's language
>>The French language is for lovers  .........  wonder if that means Germans 
>>are cold fish!!
>>
>>What do you call a German's hat        ---------       A block heater
>>
>>How many aspirins does a German take for his headache  --------   Four, 
>>one for each corner
>>
>>
>>
>>>At 04:32 PM 16/12/04, you wrote:
>>>>Hello Lloyd and listers,
>>>>Logging onto www.AskJeeves.com gave this result for Lloyd's question of 
>>>>why people call us "Square Heads"
>>>>
>>>>      "Squarehead: Germans, Swedes & Norwegians Shape of head, late 
>>>> 19th/early 20th century American word."
>
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