Expert: Ralph Salier - 10/13/2003

Question
This may not be your area of expertise, but I couldn't find anyone closer. If you can't answer, please refer me to someone.

I clearly recall a popular graphic from the 50s-60s of a pair of eyes and a nose peering over  wall with the caption "Elroy was here". It was a phrase in the american lexicon. But now I search the web and there's no trace of it.

Please help me prove it existed. I don't want to have to start digging through my 30 year old stack of Mad Magazines to find the proof.

Thanks,  

Answer
George, this was indeed quite common and comes from an earlier period. This was even more common during the war years where soldiers would carefully peer over a wall to see if the enemy was around.  It became a popular ¨tag¨ after WW2 and hung around into the early years of Vietnam. So if you are trying to win a bet, I hope this enough. "elroy was here" still shows up on occasion.