At one company I worked for, for whatever reason my co-workers used some form of the "pound sand" expression regularly. If we were in "polite" company the expression changed to the safer, "Hey, go to the beach." People not-in-the-know assumed this was our way of saying "Get lost", but we all knew the complete phrase was, "Hey, go to the beach and pound sand up your..."
I recently threw one out that my coworkers got a bang out of. "It smells like lightning struck the outhouse". I use it a lot and hadn't considered it to be disappeared, but I suppose that the frame of reference has disappeared since I had to explain to one what an outhouse was.
Two bits 25¢ or a quarter. A 2 bit gangster. 2 bits in twitch. Not a term, but it's been sometime since I have heard the sound of coins in pant pockets. Some folks would jingle them in their pant pockets as they carried a conversation.
Obscure bit of 30s teen/collegiate slang -- the practice of using common male proper names as adjectives either superlative or derogatory. One who was not hep to the jive, or what later eras would call a square -- "He's real Tom." One who was looking fine and keeping time -- "He's real George." One who was just an ordinary fellow of no particular distinction -- "He's strictly Robert."
People still do the “Shave and a haircut” knock. Though Roger Rabbit may continue to immortalize the “Two bits” response.
I've never heard that expression/phrase before, but I know what an outhouse is so it's self-explanatory. My best friend and I regularly use the "shave and a haircut" knock, but we usually use a very pregnant pause between it and the "two bits" conclusion. Regardless, I don't know anyone else who uses it.
Whenever I'm reminded of "Kilroy" I remember a story (more of an "urban legend" really) I read years ago. I don't remember the exact details, but the story was that the wife of a high-ranking U.S. Military officer was having an affair with one of the male troops under her husband's command. During one of their romantic encounters the troop grabbed a pen and playfully drew the "Kilroy was here" image on her derriere. Unfortunately for her she forgot to wash it off, and when her husband saw it she was forced to confess the affair, they divorced, and he spent the rest of his career unsuccessfully trying to find out which of his men had been the artist. I see the humor in the story (which I'm convinced is bunk), but I'm sure someone who has been negatively effected by a similar event in their life might not think it's so funny.
Except I think that the photo posted is from a video game or is otherwise modern and not from WWII. Reason being is that the weapon with the bipod in the foreground is an M47 Dragon wire-guided anti-tank missile launcher. US infantry used it back in the 1980s. Mind I still occasionally saw the Kilroy doodle in barracks in the '80s.
LizzieMaine wrote: "One who was looking fine and keeping time -- "He's real George."" The only time I recall hearing it used this way was on Spike Jones' recording of Yes Sir! That's My Baby done in a pseudo-Japanese idiom with aside comments between the lines. In this case, "She's exceedingly George"
In regards to Kilroy. Supposedly Hitler offered a 25,000 reichmarks to the person who captured or killed Kilroy. Also, he just so happens to have even left his mark on the National WWII memorial in DC. There are ecen rumors that one of the Apollo astronauts drew it on the surface of the moon.
It is also strongly rumored that the inscription 'DEI' was drawn on the moon's surface by astronaut Harrison Schmidt. (Hint: Caltech)