It takes me a long time to build up to having my hair cut. This morning though I really did look like I'd been plugged into the electricity mains ...hair sticking out all over to a length of 4 inches or more (a Hippy at heart). "You look like the Wild Man of Borneo" said Mrs mart44. "How d'you know?" says I "Ever seen him have you?"
We both had a bit of a giggle because right from being kids, if ever anyone looked a bit dishevelled our parents would say that same thing about 'The Wild Man of Borneo'. It got me wondering exactly who The Wild Man of Borneo was. Was he real or a myth? Has the The Wild Man of Borneo role been passed down through the generations? If so there would have to be a A Wild Woman of Borneo as well wouldn't there? ...or there would be no off-spring to train up for the role of Wild Man.
Maybe it isn't a bloodline thing. Perhaps the The Wild Man of Borneo looks around for some young male with unruly hair who gets easily annoyed. He then selects him as being good material for future Wild Man and imparts to him the Wild Man of Borneo techniques. Maybe there's more than one The Wild Man of Borneo and there is a school for 'wannabe' Wild Men of Borneo.
Anyway I just wondered if anyone else had grown up with the The Wild Man of Borneo thing and had theories or facts about his origins.
The Wild Man wasn't - until he met the Woman _________________ I know everything about nothing, nothing about everything and precious little about the bit in between.
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I grew up with that expression, my mother used it and so did her father .. my grandfather. I still use the expression to day, no one ever questions the meaning, as it seems obvious when referring to someone who is unkempt or acting wild.
So I too went on the search for the 'Wild Man'. This is the best explanation I came up with. WILD MAN FROM BORNEO . If my grandfather used this expression (his family was from Rutland/Leicestershire) I can only surmise that this kind of story made it's rounds as stories of explorations of unknown or little known countries captured the imaginations of the rural and probably urban populace of the Victorian era. I can imagine a missionary or adventurer going to village halls putting on the lantern show and spellbinding the locals of weird and fearsome animals/people they encountered on their (maybe so called) excursions.
Another expression I remember my grandfather using was "That's the boy who married Anna", whoever Anna was I don't know, but he'd say that to me if I helped him or did something well. Or if I asked what was for dinner I would get " Knobs, brooms and pump handles".
Here is another explanation.
In the 1894 English Grand National, Joseph Widger rode a horse called "Wild Man from Borneo" into fourth in 1894 and first in the 1895 The event was cause for a week's celebration on in Waterford.
An Irish syle song celebrating that event was performed on Amercian Vaudville stages during the 1920's, aptly named "The Wild Man From Borneo" _________________ Take control of your life. Leave others to control their own.
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