"Ladies and Gentlemen, Hobos and Tramps, Cross-eyed mosquitoes and bowlegged ants" quote?

Question

So I read this quote today, and am killing myself wondering where I heard it from.

7 pages of google say it's from some batman video game? But I don't play batman video games...

So yeah. I can recall hearing it from a movie. Anyone know?


"Ladies and Gentlemen, Hobos and Tramps, Cross-eyed mosquitoes and bowlegged ants. I come before you, to stand before you, to tell you a story I know nothing about. One bright morning in the middle of the night two dead fellows stood up to fight. They stood back to back, facing each other, drew their swords and shot each other. If you don't believe my lie, it's true, ask the blind lady on the corner, she saw it too."

Answer 1

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Some say this is an introduction to the folk rhyme "Two Dead Boys." The first line often reads "Ladies and jellyspoons," and other variants, as an alternate to "Ladies and Gentlemen." I recommend taking a look at the folklore site listed below for detailed information about this quote.

The lines are also spoken by The Joker in the Batman comic book Emperor Joker, published by DC Comics.

According to my research, I am unable to find a movie in which these lines occur.

Source(s):

http://www.folklore.bc.ca/Onefineday.htm…
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Joker
http://www.snafu-comics.com/forum/viewto…

Answer 2

This has been around lots longer than Batman! And there are several versions of it. In about 1936, my grandfather recited to me one version which started, "Ladies and gentlemen, Horses and fleas, I now present to you a big hunk of cheese. Early one morning, late one night, Two dead boys began to fight...".

I'm including one URL which offers several versions.

Source(s):

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board…