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20 July 2009

The rabbit died. →[More:]

Unofficial poll:

Do you know what this phrase means? Please answer yes or no, include your approximate age and approximation of where you were brought up.

If you do know what it means, believe me when I tell you it does not apply to me, and I'm sorry if you got all. . .whatever before you clicked!
post by: rainbaby at: 11:43 | 60 comments
I know what it means.

(I'm glad that's not the way it's done anymore...)

44, grew up in the south.
posted by BoringPostcards 20 July | 11:50
I really thought that you were talking about yourself. Yes I know what it means but then I'm older than pondscum. I grew up in So Cal but I am sure that I got this info from TV.
posted by danf 20 July | 11:58
Yes. Age 37, born and grew up in Florida.
posted by LoriFLA 20 July | 11:59
No :( I'm 28 and grew up in AZ.
posted by mullacc 20 July | 12:08
yes, 50 y.o. from N.C.
posted by mightshould 20 July | 12:12
Yup. 44, Long Island.
posted by MonkeyButter 20 July | 12:15
Yes, 22, English-speaking Chicana from Southern California. I think I read it in an old book and had to ask my mom what it meant as a wee one, since obviously I (or any of us) was not doing any bunny-killin' in the late 1920s.

I don't want to spoil the meaning for anyone else, but check out the Snopes article on it; apparently the rabbit always died.
posted by Juliet Banana 20 July | 12:16
Yep. 32, grew up in PA and OH, probably also read it in an old book.
posted by box 20 July | 12:18
Yes, 38, grew up in Michigan.
posted by Stewriffic 20 July | 12:20
I was shocked that people don't all know the euphamism anymore, if not the actual background. I started asking around the office and there was a small age factor, the younger people had never heard it. I felt really bad, I upset a younger co-worker because she thought I had a pet that had died. Even people as old as 38 didn't know it.

Snopes and wikipedia are both good.

It makes sense that this will go away eventually, but I thought it was enough of a part of popular culture that still now most people would be familiar with the saying.

Now take $12 down to the drugstore and get off my lawn.
posted by rainbaby 20 July | 12:30
Yes, 37. Grew up in SoCal.
posted by msali 20 July | 12:35
Yes. It means that Glenn Close is crazy. 45, Midwest.
posted by dhartung 20 July | 12:42
Yes. 38, military.
posted by crush-onastick 20 July | 12:43
Yes, 35.
posted by eatdonuts 20 July | 12:51
New Hampshire raised.
posted by eatdonuts 20 July | 12:52
Yes, 33, NJ.
posted by amro 20 July | 12:53
After doing a Google search to find out what it meant (32, raised in Southern Cali by conservative parents), this thread is the 3rd best result!
posted by TrishaLynn 20 July | 12:55
Awesome TrishaLynn.

You guys are smart.

mullacc is smart too, he just doesn't usually stick around that long, gotta keep getting on down that road.
posted by rainbaby 20 July | 12:58
wow, what a fascinating euphemism!
posted by By the Grace of God 20 July | 13:12
Yes, I know, although I wouldn't use that phrase myself. 38 years old. Born and raised in the mid-Atlantic area.

posted by jason's_planet 20 July | 13:19
Yeah, 37, the Old Line state.
posted by Hugh Janus 20 July | 13:24
'You can't catch me 'cause the rabbit done died.' Aerosmith (1975). 39, New Jersey.
posted by steef 20 July | 13:38
Yes, 26, Baton Rouge, LA.
posted by Fuzzbean 20 July | 14:03
Yes, 38, Northeast US.
posted by jonmc 20 July | 14:07
Yes, 38, Oregon.
posted by Sil 20 July | 14:21
No idea, 26, LA.
posted by mdonley 20 July | 14:25
Never heard this in my life. 28, grew up in Podunk, Alaska.
posted by rhapsodie 20 July | 14:30
Yes, I know what this means. I'm 53. Grew up in southern Ohio from birth until 13, and then Minneapolis-St.Paul area.
posted by marsha56 20 July | 14:36
Nope. Had to look it up, which jogged a vague recollection, but probably one gained from reading something in the mefi family rather than hearing it in person. 27, various places east of the Mississippi.
posted by notquitemaryann 20 July | 14:36
Yes, 38, and I grew up just north of Seattle.
posted by evilcupcakes 20 July | 14:38
Yes, I still use it (and usually have to explain it). 37, Ontario. I first heard it in a book but I have heard other people use it.
posted by saucysault 20 July | 14:46
No. 26, California and Florida.
posted by casarkos 20 July | 14:48
No. 35, California and Florida.

(Once I looked it up, though, I remembered hearing it.)
posted by Specklet 20 July | 15:08
No. 46. North Carolina.
posted by chewatadistance 20 July | 15:38
Yes (Judy Blume generation), and I'm relieved for you that this is just a poll, rainbebe.
posted by mudpuppie 20 July | 15:52
Yes, 42, Southern California.

I am stunned that people don't/didn't know what it means. I am so old.
posted by deborah 20 July | 15:58
yes, 40, arkansas
posted by lilywing13 20 July | 15:58
Ah! It wasn't an old book, it was the I Love Lucy Show!

'I would bet that Lucille Ball exclaiming "The rabbit died!" into the phone in 1952 during the second season of I Love Lucy was the trigger. (spoilers redacted in case you're still testing people here) Whether the rabbit thing was either a common-enough euphemism or a funny-enough coinage to get the point across, I'm too young to know and too busy to find out.'
posted by Juliet Banana 20 July | 16:00
Nope, 20, suburbs: mostly NJ but a bit of IL.
posted by theicono 20 July | 16:15
Yes 45 California
posted by doctor_negative 20 July | 16:56
Phew, I do know what this means and was wondering if this was a congratulatory moment or a social dilemma for me! ;-)

41, Maine
posted by initapplette 20 July | 17:05
Yes, 34, Washington
posted by fiendishthingy 20 July | 17:50
No, 21, Rhode Island.
posted by CitrusFreak12 20 July | 18:11
Yes, 42, New Jersey.
posted by redvixen 20 July | 18:28
Nope, 33 New Zealand. Although I suspected it after a bit of thinking.
posted by gaspode 20 July | 19:15
Yes, 44, Northern California. And, I knew about it before the episode of MASH where they used Radar's rabbit for Margaret Houlihan, and the rabbit didn't die since they were surgeons and all.
posted by eekacat 20 July | 19:46
Yes, 32, mid-west and South. But I can't ever remember hearing it growing up; I think I picked it up through reading at some point.
posted by occhiblu 20 July | 20:33
Yes, like eekacat, I learned it on MASH. Coincidentally, it was what the doctor said when I went for my first OB appointment. If I hadn't known what it meant, I would have been really confused!
posted by pinky.p 20 July | 21:08
34, also learned it from MASH, grew up in the US southwest.
posted by Twiggy 20 July | 23:26
My boyfriend has heard it. 34, Philly.
Said he heard it from the Aerosmith song and asked what it meant.
posted by rhapsodie 20 July | 23:55
Yes, 40, Alaska. I don't ever remember it being in common use, but I learned it somewhere along the line.
posted by D.C. 21 July | 02:03
25, Melbourne, never heard this before. WEIRD.
posted by jonathanstrange 21 July | 06:12
37, Melbourne, Australia. Not sure where I learned of it, but I've known what it since my late teens or early 20s.
posted by goshling 21 July | 06:22
almost 40, and yes. We had pet rabbits who died - killed by neighborhood dogs in the middle of the night. Since dad was out of town, off we went to school while mom went in to run the family business.

Since we were all heartbroken, we'd all forgotten our homework, but got off the hook when my little sister wailed, "the rabbit died and daddy left town!"
posted by lysdexic 21 July | 06:44
Oh, yeah. Grew up in Texas.
posted by lysdexic 21 July | 06:46
43 and learned about it watching M*A*S*H on television. My nurse mother needed to fill in some of the details for me.
posted by terrapin 21 July | 10:13
Yes. I'm 35 and grew up in Ontario. I'm pretty sure I first heard about it on M*A*S*H too.
posted by Orange Swan 21 July | 13:41
41 and I know...in fact there was a mid-70's movie called Rabbit Test about a pregnant guy.
posted by brujita 21 July | 22:45
Yes. 41. Kansas.
posted by amyms 22 July | 00:48
Yes, 38, grew up in semi-rural PA. I also know because of the MASH episode. (Which totally traumatized me. Bunnah!)
posted by JoanArkham 22 July | 18:53
← My Sunday. . . || Finally! →

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