Pedestrian OdorQueen Victoria, watching a company of perspiring volunteers filing past at a military review one hot day, put her handkerchief to her nose and turned to Lord Palmerston. "Don't you think," she asked, "there is rather a [revolting odor]...?"
"Oh," Palmerston replied, "that's what we call esprit de corps, ma'am."
[Trivia: In 1919 Odorono, America's first major deodorant company, ran an ad mentioning underarm odor in the Ladies' Home Journal - prompting hundreds of offended women to cancel their subscriptions!]
Palmerston, Henry John Temple, 3d Viscount (1784-1865) British statesman, foreign secretary (1830-1834, 1835-1842, 1846-1851), prime minister (1855-1858, 1859-1865) [noted for his role in shaping Britain's nationalistic foreign affairs policies]
[Sources: Queen Victoria was Amused]More Henry Palmerston anecdotesRelated Anecdote Keywords:
Witty Replies Wordplay Bad Puns Odors Gross Perspiration Military Exercise Male Bonding
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