"23 Skidoo" earned its first major prominence when it was employed by the New York City police during the construction of the Flatiron Building. Construction caused large gusts of wind which were capable of lifting women's long skirts off the ground and showing their legs. This naturally gained the attention of men who would gawk at them. "23 Skidoo" was the phrase the police used to order the men to disperse, on pain of arrest.
"Skidoo" was used on its own as the title of an incredibly bizarre Otto Preminger movie from 1968. LSD was a major plot element, so it was definitely a film of its time.
And split into two words (Ski-Doo) it is the name of a popular brand of snowmobiles made in Canada.
"23 Skidoo" earned its first major prominence when it was employed by the New York City police during the construction of the Flatiron Building. Construction caused large gusts of wind which were capable of lifting women's long skirts off the ground and showing their legs. This naturally gained the attention of men who would gawk at them. "23 Skidoo" was the phrase the police used to order the men to disperse, on pain of arrest.
I've read multiple version of this and other stories. A search of news archive shows the combined 23 Skidoo first appeared in 1905. Who knows?
"Skidoo" was used on its own as the title of an incredibly bizarre Otto Preminger movie from 1968. LSD was a major plot element, so it was definitely a film of its time.
And split into two words (Ski-Doo) it is the name of a popular brand of snowmobiles made in Canada.