Quote Originally Posted by longshadows
Sorry, guys, I'm a little late on this one. What is the story behind "the ****/*** over the teakettle"?
The things that you can learn online! From http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/inde...?date=19960517 :

....first found in a 1946 book about fighter pilots in WWII, in a euphemized form: "He displayed a rump-over-tea-kettle aggressiveness in seeking dog-fights."

It's a variation of a saying that goes back to the late 19th century.