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     HUMOR ~~+ SATIRE 
     
    

    
     Prince Kdward Islanders had a brand of humor and satire peculiar to 
     
     the province and its people. To most non-Islanders, it was quite baffling. 
     
     A good example is found in the admonition, "Wipe your chin," which had a 
     
     long run of popular use. It came into play when someone was bragging, or 
     
     obviously exaggerating beyond credibility; it was also used in a bantering 
     
     way in response to any casual remark. . 
     
    

    
     It was employed to great advantage during the early days of the First 
     
     World War by young fellows from Island units who were sent to Halifax for 
     
     special training in the Citadel military schools. For most of them this was 
     
     the first time that they had been off the Island. In the classes, there wer: 
     
     many Nova Scotians and trainees from the other provinces who provided rare 
     
     targets for ribbing at the skilled hands of the boys from Abegweit. In 
     
     response to the suggestion, "Wipe your chin!" the victim would invariably 
     
     comply, and inquire: "What was on my chin?" Of course, he was never | 
     
     enlightened -- merely assured that "it's all clean now." Strange to say, 
     
     the gag was repeated times without number without the dupes ever becoming 
     
    
   
   
    
     the wiser. I 
     
    
   
   
    
     Use of the expression once got an Island soldier into a spot of trouble. 
     
     He had enlisted in a Halifax garrison artillery unit, and had been posted 
     
     to Fort MacNab in Halifax hsrbor, where he was assigned to the sisnals_ 
     
     switchboard. Late one night, a caller who identified himself as Colonel 
     
     Almon, the commander of the garrison artillery,:demanded some information 
     
     regarding the beacon on the mast of the examination cutter lying in the 
     
     harbor below the fort. Since high-ranking staff officers were very unlikel); 
     
     to be making atrect /eaila, the Island boy naturally assumed that he was | 
     
     being hoaxed, and queried: "Why don't you wipe your chin, Colonel, and go 
     
    
   
   
    
     back to bed?" His answer brought him a sentence of fourteen days