a humorous
reference to an alleged method used during the mid-1800s to teach new army recruits from the farms of the
northern United
States how to march. As many such men did not know their
left foot from their
right, army instructors tied hay (
cut, dried grass used as feed for animals) to their
left foot and straw (
cut, dried stalks of
grain, such as wheat, also used as
animal feed) to their
right foot, shouting the marching commands "Hayfoot! Strawfoot!" rather than "
Left foot!
Right foot!" As these farmers well knew the difference between hay and straw they were thus able to do the drill.