What does the 'ball' in "Hitler has only got one ball" mean?

star_gazer

Testicle Feb 23 07, 8:45 PM

bigponder

It was one too many. Feb 23 07, 9:08 PM

skysmom65

"Hitler has only got one ball" refers to the many variations on a set of vulgar lyrics to the popular "Colonel Bogey March". These are four-line lyrics making fun of the Nazi leaders. In his autobiography Fringe Benefits, well-connected Anglo-Irish gadabout and publicist Donough O'Brien claims the original was written by his father, Toby O'Brien, also a publicity agent, in August, 1939 as British propaganda. [1] This purported original version started with the words "Göring has only got one ball", and went on to imply that Hitler had two small ones. In virtually all later versions, the positions are reversed. The statement that Himmler was "sim'lar" appears in all versions. The final line of this original and some later forms ends with the clever word play that Goebbels had "no balls". Both these variations argue strongly in favor of O'Brien's version being a very early version. O'Brien's claims have not been substantiated, and no author has ever been identified for the more popular versions that begin "Hitler has only got one ball". There is no known attempt by anyone to claim or enforce a copyright on the lyrics or music. Did Hitler really have only one testicle? An alleged Soviet autopsy on Hitler's remains made shortly after the war claimed Hitler was monorchic, but most historians dismiss this reference as propaganda. This autopsy was only released around 1970. However, records show that he was wounded in 1916 during the Battle of the Somme, and some sources describe his injury as a wound to the groin. Hitler's World War I company commander has said that a VD exam found that Hitler had only one testicle. Robert G.L. Waite in his book The Psychopathic God: Adolf Hitler (1978) accepts the accuracy of this evidence: MORE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_Has_Only_Got_One_Ball Feb 23 07, 10:02 PM

McGruff

I'd like to know what 'got' means in that sentence. Feb 23 07, 10:13 PM

What-A-Mess

Ask Lance. Feb 24 07, 8:32 AM

spanishliz

'Has got' in this sentence simply means 'has'. I believe it is largely a UK phrasing, as I recall once when playing a card game with friends from there asking "Do you have...?" and being told that I meant to say "Have you got...?". Also, "Hitler only has one ball" doesn't fit the music as well as "...has only got...". Feb 24 07, 9:25 AM

What-A-Mess

British Non-Ebony Ebonics? Feb 24 07, 10:04 AM

bloomsby

It's sung to the tune of a an almost grotsquely jerky, staccato - and amusing march called "Colonel Bogey". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Bogey_March Feb 24 07, 5:17 PM

bloomsby

Here's a really good brash and brassy American version: http://members.cox.net/sksnedegar/bogeyballs.htm Feb 24 07, 5:34 PM

lanfranco

Charming, bloomsby. I especially like the update, though I think Colin Powell may be unfairly anatomically stigmatized. On the other hand, "Wolfowitz" doesn't quite fit. Though "Rove" would. Feb 24 07, 6:04 PM