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#130101 07/06/04 04:54 AM
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A bazooka is a light-weight portable anti-tank weapon from which armour-piercing missiles are launched at armoured vehicles. It is also a piece of bubblegum.

Which came first and from whence did the first one get its name and why was the second one named after the first one (or was it)?


#130102 07/06/04 11:28 AM
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Joe Bazooka was a comic in the 1920/1930's and bazooka gum used to (for all i know still does) have small comic stripe 'jokes' in the wax paper that wraped the penny gum.(2 for a penny if you're old enough)

at the start of WWII, Joe Bazooka hung up his boxing gloves, and become a fighting hero (well first he went to boot camp, (and was the camp boxing champion, and beloved by all his fellow soldiers).

i think the there is some connections between the comic boxing champ the light weight anti tank gun (the gun connections is well established)

(for years Joe Bazooka had a large prominent place in NYC comics. The Daily News carried the strip) You might be able to find more info about the comic, -several books have included Joe Bazooka in collections or early comics.


#130103 07/06/04 01:43 PM
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The A-H and Topps (makers of Bazooka bubblegum) both point to a musical instrument (a slide kazoo) created in the thirties by Bob Burns (a comedian) called a bazooka as the origin of the name of the bubblegum and the WW2 anti-tank weapon. Furthermore, Topps says that Bazooka Joe, the comic, was first created in 1953. The jeep (general purpose vehicle) on the other hand did get its name from the Popeye comicstrip.

http://www.topps.com/Confectionery/conf_history.html
http://www.bartleby.com/61/53/B0125300.html
http://www.geocities.com/captainkazoo/burns.html



#130104 07/06/04 01:49 PM
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Helen, could you be thinking of Joe Palooka? He was the boxer in the long-ago comic strip, which was a favorite of mine when I was a wee mite. There was also a Bazooka Joe, which I think was a hero figure invented by the bubblegum outfit--sort of an earlier version of Captain Crunch. None of this answers Father Steve's query. The bazooka weapon dates back to the WWII era. I remember, when I was drafted into the US Army in the 50's, having to fire a bazooka during basic training.


#130105 07/06/04 07:33 PM
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yep, it could be joe palooka.. (it was definately pre WWII) and yes, he was a boxer.

(it was one of the comics i didn't read--i didn't always understand the terms uses (sports terms) and wasn't much interested in the adventures of a boxer anyway.. Now ask me about brenda starr (the girl reporter with stars in her eyes!) i am sure i would know/remember more!


#130106 07/06/04 11:25 PM
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#130107 07/06/04 11:53 PM
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According to AHD4, the weapon gets its name from the musical instrument.

http://www.bartleby.com/61/53/B0125300.html

What? Never heard of a musical instrument called a bazooka?

http://www.geocities.com/scottfranklinhall/bazooka.html


#130108 07/07/04 12:02 AM
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So ... musical instrument first, then either weapon or bubble gum second, but which?


#130109 07/07/04 12:51 AM
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both point to a musical instrument (a slide kazoo)

Q: What's that you say? X: Felix caught yer finger. Q: Pull? X: Maybe you forgot to take it out of idle or threaded mold. Q: Nah, forgot to quote in context. X: Nah? Q: Ignore the Franklyn Embalmer churlish behind the courting. X: Try again in twelvemonth. Q: Back to tha ba-sheep. X:


#130110 07/07/04 10:36 AM
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There, there, nuncle. It'll be all right in just a little while.


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