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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Vocabulary

See you later alligator,...

Greetings all,

Could somebody please explain to me ( or just point to an appropriate link ) the origin of "See you later alligator, in a while crocodile"? :-) It should be from a cartoon or something?

Thanks!

Vladimir
  

Top answer

It's just silly rhyming catchprhase. There was a song that incorporated these lyrics in the 50s. " are two I can think of easily.

— Delmobile

  • It's just silly rhyming catchprhase.
  • There was a song that incorporated these lyrics in the 50s.
  • " are two I can think of easily.
  • And speaking of songs, there's Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave your Lover" which takes the concept of rhyming catchphrases about as far as it can go.
  • org/wiki/50_Ways_to_Leave_Your_Lover
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3 Answers
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It's just silly rhyming catchprhase. There was a song that incorporated these lyrics in the 50s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/See_You_Later_Alligator

There are other popular rhyming phrases - "what's the deal, McNeil" and my old friend's favorite, "what's the story, morning glory?"
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Thanks, Delmobile!

So it's nothing but a catchphrase.... and native speakers never ( jocularly ) use it for "bye", "see you" etc? :-) Neither today nor in the 50-th? Neither adults nor say teenagers?
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I know this is an old thread, but just in case someone else is searching this...my mother and my aunt did use this phrase sometimes. They would have been adults (22 and 35, respectively) when the Bill Haley and the Comets song came out, and this is probably where they heard it. I remember hearing it as a kid in the 60s, and it was used jocularly. It got shortened to "later, gator." Now there is ev
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