The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #18820 Message #4006179
Posted By: Lighter
28-Aug-19 - 08:00 AM
Thread Name: Origin: Rough and tough and hard to bluff
Subject: RE: Origin: Rough and tough and hard to bluff
Macon Daily Telegraph (July 2, 1916), p. 15:
"Company D, of Columbus [Ga.], brought an innovation into camp yesterday with some of this 'rah, rah' college stuff. Their yell runs like this:
Rah, rah, rah, who are we?
We're the boys of Company D,
Rough and tough, hard to bluff,
Always fighting and never get enough."
Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (Feb. 14, 1977), p. 35:
"Loving Lines to Valentines ...
Tom
I'm rough and and I'm tough
And if that's not enough
I love you baby
And that's no stuff.
Bebe"
The version I heard (once) in the early '60s was "'Im rough and I'm tough and I know my stuff."