Bogeyman

Sile

The OP of another thread, along with recent events, have prompted me to look up the word "bogeyman."

"A bogeyman is an amorphous imaginary being used by adults to frighten children into compliant behaviour." (Rather incredibly conprehensive Wiki article here.)

Now that I think of it, we used to say "booga-booga" and "booga-dah" as a sort of casual way of scaring (or greeting) family members - was anyone else raised with this?

The word is thought linked to many similar Indo-European words, including Slavonic bogu - which is of course most often translated, "God."

I'm sure there's a koan in there somewhere...

RebeccaS

Sile said:

Now that I think of it, we used to say "booga-booga" and "booga-dah" as a sort of casual way of scaring (or greeting) family members - was anyone else raised with this?

No! I kinda wish I was though, it's way more fun than hello.

zenff

No, but something completely different is my grandson.
He obviously wants a story at bedtime but lately he loves the story to have a bad ending.

So we think of a disastrous story and then I say something like “and they lived with horrible toothaches for three more years”. And then it’s okay and he sleeps with a smile on his face.

Vastmind

The Bogeyman takes Santa.
It still scares/cracks me up. haha

The Oogie Boogie Song

how

I use the word boogeyman as the socially shared concept of someone who represents the feared or hated being of the times. It is not limited to children in my book.

karasti

I know the boogeyman, but not the booga booga greeting. I can say, the only scary being that scared me as a child was the Bunyip from "Dot and the Kangaroo." The song still scares me!

Sile

karasti said:

I know the boogeyman, but not the booga booga greeting. I can say, the only scary being that scared me as a child was the Bunyip from "Dot and the Kangaroo." The song still scares me!

I know at least two children psychologically impaired by said Bunyip. They were in fact so scared that I get a little shiver myself hearing the name, though I've never seen the Bunyip and until this day didn't know where on earth the story came from

karasti

Bunyip from the movie. The movie is terrific, I still love to watch it. It's done half animated and half "real life" Like animation on top of actual scenery. The little girl gets lost in the bush in Australia and is rescued by a mama kangaroo who lost her baby. They go on an adventure looking how to get the little girl home to her family. Great movie! But the Bunyip is terrifying, lol.

Dakini

"Bogeyman" comes from the word "Bugi", a town in Indonesia that used to harbor pirates that attacked passing ships. Bugi-men.

lobster

ah . . . we used to pronounce it bow gee
. . . some sort of snot monster . . .

. . . coming to get you . . . :pirate: :eek2: :rolleyes:

MaryAnne

Nightmare Before Christmas... LOOOOOOOVE IT!! Always a fave.

I grew up hearing "Boogey man!!" and "Boogah-Boogah!!" from other kids and adults alike.

What just occurred to me -now- in this conversation, is that Boogah-Boogah is like the antonym of "woo-woo" -- if woo-woo means all Unicorns, Pixie Dust & Airy Fairy new age stuff. Boogah-Boogah is dark, scary and menacing stuff. ::: shrugs:::
Or........ Maybe its just me?