Quotations and Literature Forum

This isn't exactly a quotation search; it's a hunt for the origin of the slang expression Nutsy Fagin--as in "What a Nutsy Fagin idea!"

When I post this query on other sites I get a lot of mail about Fagin in "Oliver Twist." But that can't be right, can it? Dickens' Fagin isn't particularly nutsy, and the phrase is demotic American, not literary English.

Does anybody have any kind of reliable leads for me?

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Mr. Fussbudget

True wit is nature to advantage dressed,
What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed.

Never heard of it, as have a lot of other people.
http://www.wordwizard.com/clubhouse/fou ... p?Num=2811

This kind of request might get better response on Dave Wilton's Word Origins website/forum.

Boy, I thought I'd heard all of the American slang terms. That's a new one on me.

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Michael Moncur
Owner and maintainer, The Quotations Page

Dear Michael--

If you do a Google search for "Nutsy Fagin" or "Nutsy Fagan" you'll come up with a dozen or so hits. You'll also find that I'm not the only word freak who's on the trail of this elusive phrase.

I first became aware of it because my late mother-in-law used it. She was from Brooklyn--if that's any kind of clue. I keep imagining that someone will remember a comic strip character or vaudeville comedian, or circus clown, or some such, named Nutsy Fagin.

But so far no luck. But the fun is in the chase, eh?

Mr. Fussbudget

P.S. Thanks for a great site. A visit to your Quotes of the Day is always a bright spot in my daily struggle with the word processor.

_________________
Mr. Fussbudget

True wit is nature to advantage dressed,
What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed.

i grew up in west village and this was a common term to describe --
"oh he is a regular nutsy fagin!! " my family used it all the time! among others--
and then it turned up in the movie "the producers" so it goes back to describe a character--
pls let me know if you know of other stories regarding the name--
cheers,
pam

I see it in the script for The Producers. It's such an off-hand remark that I don't even think it makes sense. It must be obscure.
http://www.awesomefilm.com/script/producers.html

Oh man, what a hoot. It also appears on this hilarious list of baby names
http://www.xnet2.com/sknoof/html/19851001babies.html

This is a saying I remember from growing up on Long Island as the only member of my family not brought up in the Bronx. I never really thought about this saying or a number of others my family regularly used. But yesterday I heard it used on an NPR radio segment, which brought it all back to me, so I went online to search. According to the site I found: "Nutsy Fagan was a kook that lived in New York many years ago. He used to follow funeral processions like they were parades. He would dance behind the procession. Fagan was a popular figure in Manhattan."

Not a lot of information - but a good starting place!

Thanks to all for this. I heard Frank Deford use the expression yesterday on NPR and until then I had always thought that what Bialystok said in The Producers was "So much for Nazi Fagan" referring to the German playwright. I couldn't make any sense of that but "Nutsy Fagan" works. Or maybe it was a pun?

javascript:emoticon(':)')
Smile

Nutsy Fagin idea?..nut could mean insane/ extemely fond of/ pertaining to nuts..fagin, could be faggot, wearisome task/cigarette...misheard for 'Fagend' little use ,worst part..so

A homophobic end that has been of little use?
or
a wearisome task, that pertained to nuts or ..


An idea of poor substance? perhaps?

When i studied Irish Gaelic I came across Fagan quite often, its a fairly popular Irish name, so it probably comes from somebody of the Fagan family descent who was alittle weird or eccentric. Esepecialy so if you remember hearing it along time ago in upstate usa where there is a large population of irish people.

Nutsy Fagan was a depression-era vaudevillian entertainer - I learned this from working with his grandson!

I think I have got the news,who said it is not impotant,Right?