Where Do These Things Come From~~Three On A Match?

I have always been fascinated by quips and sayings that become part of everyday language. Yesterday I was watching the movie 'Passchendaele' about Canadian forces in WWI. A very good movie by the way. Although the term 'Three on a match' was not used in the movie I was reminded of the term as I had always been lead to believe that it originated in WWI as a superstition about lighting a cigarette. My belief was that when three soldiers lit cigarettes from the same match the third soldier was in peril to be shot as the enemy, by that time, would have had time to zero in on him.

This 'Three on a match' premise was attributed to soldiers that served in the Boer War, The Crimean War and WWI. As it turns out this may well not be true.

It seems a Swedish match manufacturer, 10 years after WWI, used the phrase to try and get people to use more matches. The gentleman that used the term, in his advertising, was Ivar Kreuger. As it turns out Mr Kreuger may have adapted his 'Three on a match' saying from an old Russian funeral ritual. This ritual calls for three alter candles to be lit by a single candle. A quote from the 1916 movie 'The Wonder Year' explain it this way. "To apply the same method of illumination to three worldly things like cigars or cigarettes is regarded as an act of impiety and hence as unlucky."

The 1932 movie 'The Match King' is loosely based on Ivar Kreuger's life.

So we may have solved the origin issues of this term. But like anything that has to do with language this term has taken on a life of its own.

Some examples:

1. Hollywood has mad use of the term in movies like 'Three On A Match', 'Bullshot', 'Scarlet Street' and 'The Best Years Of Our Lives'

2. TV shows like Mad Men have actually referenced Iva Kreuger in there plot. Other shows like Moonlighting and even a Popeye cartoon have used this term.

3. It has appeared in plays like The Seagull and the radio playlet 'Three On A Match'. In books like 'The Perks Of Being A Wallflower' and 'Appointment At Samarra' for example.

4. In music it can be found in Edwin McCains 'Take Me' and in the song "Modsquadrophenia" by the Cherry Poppin Daddies.

There are many other references to this term thought the language. In reality, like so many sayings, the actual origin will never be know because; 1. proving where something was first spoken is next to impossible and 2. many things when first spoken are insignificant and then for some reason go viral.

It is amazing how some things seem to spread throughout a language without people having a clue as to origin.

At least this guy went out with a smile on his face. The imagination of the human mind can be scary at times.

Love ya,

Night

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