Cereal Ads

[Kitty]

Pretty amazing how hard they tried to convince the consumer that Shredded Wheat was good for you! I was hoping that the baseballer pictured was named in the ad.

[donnie]

Here's a similar one. This is actually from a reproduction I have of the first Boy Scout Manual from 1911. It had a few ads in the back. I wonder what exactly the slang word "buster" means here. (Strong? Energetic? Successful?) I don't have a clear idea of what "bully" in this sense means either, though I know it was associated with Teddy Roosevelt.

[Kitty]

Here's a similar one. This is actually from a reproduction I have of the first Boy Scout Manual from 1911. It had a few ads in the back. I wonder what exactly the slang word "buster" means here. (Strong? Energetic? Successful?) I don't have a clear idea of what "bully" in this sense means either, though I know it was associated with Teddy Roosevelt.

I think 'buster' is slang for a tough guy, and 'bully' I know is a now chiefly british term for 'good'. They'll say something like 'bully for you!' or 'that's bully!'

[donnie]

That meaning for buster makes sense. And come to think of it, I've heard the phrase "bully for you," but always only in a sarcastic sense, it seems.

Yet another, from 1913. I wonder why they always mention putting it in the oven to restore crispness. They must not have had airtight packaging available.

[Mrs. Danvers]

The idiomatic phrase “bully for you” originated in the 1500s or 1600s. In the present day, the term “bully” is usually thought of as a person that hurts you mentally, emotionally or physically in some way. However, back in the day, the term “bully” meant an excellent person. This meaning is where the phrase “bully for you” was derived from to mean “excellent for you.”

But now of course said with the right tone of voice or inflection, it can also be deemed sarcastic.

[donnie]

Interesting. Thanks! And I think you are a bully for providing that info (in the old sense ).

[donnie]

Interesting. Thanks! And I think you are an absolute bully (in the old sense ) for providing that info.

[donnie]

And another shredded wheat one. (What can I say? I like shredded wheat. )

[Kitty]

Those things are huge! From what I understand, they were big blocks, right?

[donnie]

they were big blocks, right?

Are big blocks. Yes, they still make big biscuit style, which is the way I like them. Though the spoon-size ones are more popular now, I think.

The Nabisco ones were bought out by Post, so it’s Post Shredded Wheat now. Inside the box, the biscuits are packaged three to an envelope, which always seemed odd to me, since most people have two, as in the illustration.