History has become a hobby of mine. I had no interest in it until I started studying African history at college and now I’m all over it, like a cop on a danish. Currently I'm enthralled with American history as the result of designing state history textbooks at work. American history is full of so many interesting characters that do all kinds of whacky things. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not slamming the Present. But let’s be honest: it can get old fast. How many times do we have to hear about Brittany Spear’s wedding and still pretend like we ever gave a damn?
Let’s do ourselves a favor and make Thursday “History Day” on Flying Backwards. Yes, let’s do that. Every Thursday I will be bringing you the story of someone from American history which I am particularly tickled with at the moment. This week: Mike Fink (1770-1823).
Mike was a bragger, a boaster. They just don’t make them like they used to. Nowadays, professional boasters all make rap videos with the sole intention of informing the world that they have oodles of bling, skanky-hoes, and currency coming out their orifices. We already know that. Boring!
In contast, Mike’s boasting was delightful. There was no substance to it, of course, but it definitely had kick. He was a keelboat man, who went up and down the rivers getting into fistfights, shootouts, and winning bragging contests. Here’s a boast that got written down:
“I'm a Salt River roarer! I'm a ring-tailed screamer from the ol' Massassip'! WHOOP! . . . I’m half wild horse and half cock-eyed alligator and the rest of me is crooked snags an’ red-hot snapping turtle. . . . I can out-run, out-jump, out-shoot, out-brag, out-drink, an' out-fight . . . any man on both sides of the river from Pittsburgh to New Orleans an' back again to St. Louiee.”
I think people should use the exclamation “WHOOP” more often. It has a nice ring to it. As for Mike, he ended up moving west and becoming a fur trapper. Not long after, he was killed in a fight. No one ever claimed he was very smart, but he could sure strut his stuff. Hats off to Fink, our historical figure of the week. WHOOP!
6 comments:
personally, i like woot better...
What the heck is woot anyway? Is it one of those internet words that spawned itself in chat rooms and instant messaging, like lol and brb? I've only seen it in an internet context.
laughing...I think we came close to bringing "whoop" back with the classic tune "whoomp, there it is..."
-kristen
woot woot! that's the disco call. jeez. get with the program, man. :P
My knowledge of disco ranks up there wth my knowledge of menopause: it exists but why should it concern me? With some exceptions of course.
"Whoomp there it is..." You always have to wonder, what were we thinking?
okay. listen to "shake your rump" by the beastie boys. they do it in there. "woot woot! it's the disco call!"
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