You're probably on to something there Mark. The 'brothers' came up with the skit after CBC turned down the show for not having enough Canadian content. They developed their Canadian content around the tough culture of Hamilton, one of Canada's steeltowns.

Some of the people that I knew from the area had strange tough manners. Two guys from Hamilton that I worked with would see who could fart the other one out of the car after drinking lots of beer the night before. They would fall on the floor at and look up the waitresses dresses at Ernie's Charpit, a hamburger joint that they called Ernie's Hairpit. They used the expression 'getting hosed' but I don't remember hoser. One of their favourite expressions was, 'Why don't you stick your finger up my arse and wear my ring.'

I doubt that the McKenzie Brothers took a lot of invention. Take off eh was a cleaned up version of another favourite Hamilton exppression.

I once had a boss who was from Hamilton. I think he was the toughest person that I ever worked for. He would swear loudly at himself when he made mistakes. His third or fourth wife was a good match for him though. She would call up and leave messages with the secretary like, 'Tell Brian that the fucking cat got out and I have to go to fucking work and that's too fucking bad.'