Ke-mo sah-bee
{{short description|Catchphrase used by Tonto}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
Ke-mo sah-bee ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|iː|m|oʊ|ˈ|s|ɑː|b|iː}}; often spelled kemo sabe, kemosabe or kimosabe) is the term used by the fictional Native American sidekick Tonto as the "Native American" name for the Lone Ranger in the American Lone Ranger radio program and television show. Derived from {{lang|oj|gimoozaabi}}, an Ojibwe and Potawatomi word that may mean 'he/she looks out in secret',{{cite book |last1=Rhodes |first1=Richard |chapter=Eastern Ojibwa |title=Chippewa-Ottawa Dictionary |date=1993 |publisher=Mouton DeGruyter |location=New York |isbn=3-11-013749-6 |page=Back cover }} it has been occasionally translated as "trusty scout" or "faithful friend".{{Cite web |last=Striker |first=Fran Jr. |title=What Does 'Kemo Sabe' Really Mean ? |url=http://www.old-time.com/misc/kemo.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225204559/http://www.old-time.com/misc/kemo.html |archive-date=2020-02-25 |access-date=November 12, 2008 |publisher=Old Time Radio }}
Meaning and origin
Jim Jewell, director of The Lone Ranger radio show from 1933 to 1939, took the phrase from Kamp Kee-Mo Sah-Bee, a boys' camp on Mullett Lake in Michigan, established by his father-in-law Charles W. Yeager in 1916.{{Cite journal |last=Sargent |first=Porter E. |year=1916 |title=Boys' Summer Camps |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hstoCZurG9YC&q=yeager |journal=A Handbook of Private Schools |publisher=Porter E. Sargent |publication-place=Boston |pages=267 |quote=Kamp Kee-Mo-Sah-Bee, a summer camp and school of wood-craft at Mullet Lake, will open this year under the direction of Charles W. Yeager, Gymnasium and Athletic Director at the Detroit University School. |access-date=2020-11-28 |archive-date=2021-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101050708/https://books.google.com/books?id=hstoCZurG9YC&q=yeager |url-status=live }} Yeager himself probably took the term from Ernest Thompson Seton, one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America, who had given the meaning "scout runner" to Kee-mo-sah'-bee in his 1912 book The Book of Woodcraft and Indian Lore.{{Cite book |last=Seton |first=Ernest Thompson |url=https://archive.org/details/bookwoodcraftan01setogoog |title=The Book of Woodcraft and Indian Lore |publisher=Doubleday, Page, and Company |year=1912 |page=[https://archive.org/details/bookwoodcraftan01setogoog/page/n158 134] |quote=kee-mo-sah-bee}}
Kamp Kee-Mo Sah-Bee was in an area inhabited by the Ottawa, who speak a language that is mutually comprehensible with Ojibwe. John D. Nichols and Earl Nyholm's A Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe defines the Ojibwe word {{lang|oj|giimoozaabi}} as 'he peeks' (and, in theory, 'he who peeks'), making use of the prefix {{lang|oj|giimoo(j)-}}, 'secretly'; Rob Malouf, now an associate professor of linguistics at San Diego State University, suggested that {{lang|oj|giimoozaabi}} may indeed have also meant scout (i.e., 'one who sneaks').{{cite web |url=http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/971/in-the-old-lone-ranger-series-what-did-kemosabe-mean |title=In the old Lone Ranger series, what did "kemosabe" mean? |author=Adams, Cecil |author-link=Cecil Adams |work=The Straight Dope |date=July 18, 1997 |access-date=2011-11-28 |archive-date=2011-11-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120183815/http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/971/in-the-old-lone-ranger-series-what-did-kemosabe-mean |url-status=live }}
In media
Tonto has been represented by the following actors:
- John Todd in the 1933 radio show
- Chief Thundercloud in the movies beginning in 1938
- Jay Silverheels in the 1950s TV series
- Michael Horse in the 1981 film The Legend of the Lone Ranger
- Johnny Depp in the 2013 movie
Other uses
- Used in the lyrics of the song "Mr. Custer" by Larry Verne in 1960.
- Featured in the lyrics of "Apache (Jump on It)", a 1981 song by The Sugarhill Gang.Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/YKhi9ITkRgA Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20151124064956/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKhi9ITkRgA Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKhi9ITkRgA| title= The Sugarhill Gang - Apache (Jump On It) (Official Video) |website=YouTube| date= 24 August 2015 }}{{cbignore}}
- Featured in the lyrics of "Sharkey's Night" by Laurie Anderson from her 1984 album Mister Heartbreak{{Citation |title=Laurie Anderson – Sharkey's Night | url=https://genius.com/Laurie-anderson-sharkeys-night-lyrics | access-date=2023-08-14}}
- Featured in the lyrics of "If I Had a Boat" by Lyle Lovett, from his 1987 album Pontiac.{{Citation |title=Lyle Lovett – If I Had a Boat |url=https://genius.com/Lyle-lovett-if-i-had-a-boat-lyrics |access-date=2022-08-08}}
- Featured in the lyrics of "The Lone Ranger", a 1976 UK hit single by Quantum Jump.{{Citation |title=Quantum Jump – The Lone Ranger |url=https://genius.com/Quantum-jump-the-lone-ranger-lyrics |access-date=2022-08-08}}
- In the TV show MacGyver (1985–1992), it is a nickname for MacGyver used by his friend Jack Dalton.{{Cite web|title=MacGyver Episode Guide » Season 3|url=https://www.rusted-crush.com/macgyver/season3a.html|access-date=2021-10-16|website=www.rusted-crush.com|archive-date=2020-02-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220015752/http://www.rusted-crush.com/macgyver/season3a.html|url-status=live}}
- Misquoted as "qué mas sabe" on page 20 of Rabbit Redux by John Updike.
- Mentioned in a panel of the graphic novel A History Of Violence by John Wagner and Vince Locke spoken by character Joey Muni.{{Cite book |last=Wagner |first=John |title=A History Of Violence |publisher=Vertigo |year=1997 |isbn=978-1-4012-3189-7 |edition= |location=New York, NY |pages=143 |language=English}}
- The song "Kemosabe",{{Cite web|title=Everything Everything - Kemosabe|website= YouTube|date= 19 November 2012|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKKMfJ8cZoQ&ab_channel=evrythngevrythngVEVO}} a 2013 single by Manchester band Everything Everything from their album, Arc.
- Used by detective Barrel in the series Bosch (TV series)
- Kemosabe Records is an American record label founded by music producer Dr. Luke and is owned by Sony Music Entertainment.{{Cite web |last=Records |first=Kemosabe |title=Kemosabe Records |url=https://kemosaberecords.com/ |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=Kemosabe Records |language=en-US}}
- A 2023 "Kimosabè" single by Angus Stone (as Dope Lemon).{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Ellie |date=2023-06-03 |title=Will Ferrell and Judd Apatow have co-writing credits on new Dope Lemon single 'Kimosabè' |url=https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/will-ferrell-and-judd-apatow-have-co-writing-credits-on-new-dope-lemon-single-kimosabe-3451268 |access-date=2023-07-12 |website=NME |language=en-AU}}
- Used by Peter Tork, dressed in a parody of Tonto, as "Pronto" in "The Monkees in Texas" Season 2 Episode 13 of The Monkees.{{Cite web |last=Monkees |first=The |title=The Monkees |url=https://monkees.coolcherrycream.com/scripts/45-monkees-in-texas |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=Cool Cherry Cream |language=en-US}}
- The homophone "Chemo-Sah-Bee" used in The Sopranos by Anthony DeSando (as Brendan Filone) to refer to Jackie Aprile Sr.'s Cancer.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySFckZa9P4Q |title=The Sopranos - Serious is what happens if you don't pay |date=2015-11-08 |last=Stefan |access-date=2024-06-27 |via=YouTube}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{The Lone Ranger}}
Category:Quotations from radio