Yipes.
In class, I inadvertently dropped a phrase that revealed either my Midwest roots or my “maturity”, or both.
I referred to something as a “Lucky Strike Extra”.
You know, something out of the normal routine … an added benefit.
Most of the class ignored the comment and some rolled their eyes.
But, one student emailed me:
“I have noticed you use the expression “lucky strike extra” in class — this is an old family favorite (we call extra “freebie” birthday/Christmas gifts lucky strike extras). It is not something that you hear all that often – it inspired some sentiment just in time for the holidays.”
That got me wondering where the phrase originated.
Here’s the back story ….
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According to The Grammarphobia Blog
A “Lucky Strike extra” — something given as an unexpected bonus — got its name from Lucky Strike cigarettes, sponsor of “Your Hit Parade” on radio and television during the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s.
That was well before Top-40 charts became commonplace,
Your Hit Parade, a radio institution that billed itself as “an accurate, authentic tabulation of America’s taste in popular music.”
The show regularly played the week’s top 10 or 15 songs.
It also threw in other notable tunes, often old favorites or recent releases, that the producers felt deserved air time.
These songs were called “Lucky Strike extras” in a nod to the show’s sponsor.
Later, the phrase became a synonym for any kind of bonus or extra goodie, particularly in advertising when a star improvises an additional comment or two in delivering a commercial.
There you have it …
A Lucky Strike Extra.
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The Homa Files 
June 25, 2020 at 11:43 am |
I looked this up because I have an old pair of scissors that has “Lucky Strike Extra” stamped on it.