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fandom_grammarToday we’re looking at two expressions with a martial theme – “keep your chin up and your powder dry”, and “old soldiers never die, they just fade away”.
The first expression led me into many internet byways, and some of my commentary is speculative as a result. It appears to be a joining of two phrases that developed separately. The earliest published use of “keep your chin up”, i.e. keep your head high, be cheerful, appears to have been in a US publication around 1900. Check out this link for further information.
“Keep your powder dry” refers to gunpowder, and is an encouragement to alertness and readiness. According to Wikiquotes one of the earliest written uses of this quote comes from a Victorian poem, putting the maxim “Trust in God and keep your powder dry” into the mouth of Oliver Cromwell. “Keep your powder dry” was a well known maxim on its own, to the extent of being used as a US film title in the 1940s.
Somewhere along the line, these two expressions fused into “Keep your chin up and your powder dry” – in other words, stay brave and cheerful, but also be alert and prepared. The earliest dateable reference to this expression that I could find on the internet comes from Marc Blitzstein’s translation of the Barbara Song from The Threepenny Opera, around 1954. “Chin up high, keep your powder dry, don't relax or go too far” go the lines, in an ironic application of a martial metaphor to a rather different circumstance. This isn’t a literal translation of the original German lyrics, so presumably Blitzstein, a US song writer, was already familiar with the phrase and expecting his audience to be familiar too.
Our second phrase is much clearer in origin, and perhaps to make up for that, potentially more confusing to interpret.
When General Douglas MacArthur was relieved of his military command in 1951,an event which caused considerable political turmoil, he said these lines in his valedictory speech to the US Congress:
One version of the lyrics of “that ballad” can be found here.
As with many songs originating from soldiers themselves, the song in question is not a paean to the glories of military life, but a complaint about its difficulties and indignities, and various versions of it date back to the First World War. Given this context, the line could come across as a subtle final protest against General MacArthur’s removal from his position. In the aftermath of MacArthur’s speech, the expression “old soldiers never die, they just fade away” has become associated with giving soldiers respect and remembrance, and has also been twisted into other popular references, for example “old fishermen” jokes such as “old fishermen never die, they just smell that way.”
And now for the fannish part of our post, some “cut scenes” from a couple of episodes of The Sentinel:
Other related links:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/macarthur/filmmore/reference/primary/macspeech05.html
http://www.thisdayinquotes.com/2011/04/old-soldiers-never-die-they-just-fade.html
The first expression led me into many internet byways, and some of my commentary is speculative as a result. It appears to be a joining of two phrases that developed separately. The earliest published use of “keep your chin up”, i.e. keep your head high, be cheerful, appears to have been in a US publication around 1900. Check out this link for further information.
“Keep your powder dry” refers to gunpowder, and is an encouragement to alertness and readiness. According to Wikiquotes one of the earliest written uses of this quote comes from a Victorian poem, putting the maxim “Trust in God and keep your powder dry” into the mouth of Oliver Cromwell. “Keep your powder dry” was a well known maxim on its own, to the extent of being used as a US film title in the 1940s.
Somewhere along the line, these two expressions fused into “Keep your chin up and your powder dry” – in other words, stay brave and cheerful, but also be alert and prepared. The earliest dateable reference to this expression that I could find on the internet comes from Marc Blitzstein’s translation of the Barbara Song from The Threepenny Opera, around 1954. “Chin up high, keep your powder dry, don't relax or go too far” go the lines, in an ironic application of a martial metaphor to a rather different circumstance. This isn’t a literal translation of the original German lyrics, so presumably Blitzstein, a US song writer, was already familiar with the phrase and expecting his audience to be familiar too.
Our second phrase is much clearer in origin, and perhaps to make up for that, potentially more confusing to interpret.
When General Douglas MacArthur was relieved of his military command in 1951,an event which caused considerable political turmoil, he said these lines in his valedictory speech to the US Congress:
“When I joined the Army, even before the turn of the century, it was the fulfillment of all of my boyish hopes and dreams. The world has turned over many times since I took the oath on the plain at West Point, and the hopes and dreams have long since vanished, but I still remember the refrain of one of the most popular barrack ballads of that day which proclaimed most proudly that ‘old soldiers never die, they just fade away.’ And like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Good-bye.”
One version of the lyrics of “that ballad” can be found here.
As with many songs originating from soldiers themselves, the song in question is not a paean to the glories of military life, but a complaint about its difficulties and indignities, and various versions of it date back to the First World War. Given this context, the line could come across as a subtle final protest against General MacArthur’s removal from his position. In the aftermath of MacArthur’s speech, the expression “old soldiers never die, they just fade away” has become associated with giving soldiers respect and remembrance, and has also been twisted into other popular references, for example “old fishermen” jokes such as “old fishermen never die, they just smell that way.”
And now for the fannish part of our post, some “cut scenes” from a couple of episodes of The Sentinel:
“So, how well do you think your reinstatement meeting will go?" Jim asked.
Blair shrugged. “A lot of the influential people who wanted me out are facing felony charges. That can’t hurt.”
“True. But you keep your chin up and your powder dry, Chief. I don’t know much about university politics, but it’s human nature to have extra dirty tricks in reserve.”***
Jim sank down on the roof top, overcome with reaction and the remnants of Oliver’s drugs in his system. “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away,” tramped stupidly through his head. Colonel Oliver was indisputably dead, and his reputation about to be destroyed, and that thought filled Jim with grim satisfaction.
Other related links:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/macarthur/filmmore/reference/primary/macspeech05.html
http://www.thisdayinquotes.com/2011/04/old-soldiers-never-die-they-just-fade.html
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