Buzz
We've all been in that situation: Flat on our faces on the pavement after convincing ourselves we could ride a bicycle hands-free. To boast about this impending disaster, one might shout, 'Look Ma, no hands!' just before taking a tumble.
But where did this expression come from?
The Oxford English Dictionary defines the phrase as '…a boastful cry (usually by a child to a parent or another adult) seeking attention or admiration for performing a difficult or intricate task, often cycling, without using hands.' The OED traces its first use to a 1937 newspaper cartoon. In the Fritzi Ritz comic strip by Ernie Bushmiller, who later adapted it to focus more on Fritzi’s vacant-eyed niece Nancy, a child is depicted riding a bike with no hands while excitedly shouting, 'Yippee! Look Aunt Fritzi—no hands!!'
Whether the cartoon was reflecting a behavior already common among children or whether it prompted them to try it is open to debate. In any case, the 1940s saw an increase in print references to the phrase and its variations. Although intended to be humorous, it also served as a cautionary example, as shown in this excerpt from The Tatler and Bystander in London:
A young boy had just received a new bicycle and was eagerly showing it off. His mother stood by the gate, watching him. He sped off down the road, and on his way back, he removed his hands from the handlebars.
'Look, mum—no hands!' he proudly exclaimed.
'Oh, do be careful, dear,' his mother cautioned. 'You’ll hurt yourself.'
The boy smiled widely and rode off again. The next time his mother saw him, his feet were dangling in the air.
'Look, mum—no feet!'
His mother protested weakly once again, but off he went. This time, he didn’t return as quickly, and when he finally did, he called out, though less cheerfully: 'Look mum—no teeth!'
