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Literary and cinematic references

(123 Posts)
Teetime Thu 30-Mar-17 09:05:55

In our family and I'm sure in many others there are 'in jokes' phrases and saying that are wheeled out to meet various situations One of our old favourites is from Brideshead Revisited to explain a hangover ' the wines were too various' said in a sepulchral tone. Anyone else have these?

Craftycat Fri 31-Mar-17 12:14:33

Lovebeigecardigans - My dad used to say 'Too late she cried- waving her wooden leg' I have no clue where it came from either.

In our house it is- Alright - but I won't enjoy it' & 'the answer to your question is 42' from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

KatyK Fri 31-Mar-17 12:27:16

We say so many of these! Right monkey is a favourite here too. I've no idea where that came from. When I ask DH the time he sometimes says 'oo I must get a little hand on this watch' - Hilda Baker again.

2mason16 Fri 31-Mar-17 12:31:41

"Such fun" ! Our favourite from Miranda sitcom

notnecessarilywiser Fri 31-Mar-17 12:47:19

00mam00 - I'm pretty sure that "Gone, and never called me mother" is from the melodramatic East Lynne. It's a fvaourite of mine, too!

lizzypopbottle Fri 31-Mar-17 12:47:56

As a family we sat down to watch the BBC adaptation of Pride an Prejudice (Colin Firth as Mr Darcy) every Sunday, bought the DVD and watched all the repeats. Now we quote freely from it whenever appropriate e.g.:
I'm exceedingly obliged to you! (Mr Whickham - instead of thank you)
I believe it will turn out well. (Mr Bennett was wrong so this is said with fingers crossed)
It ought to be so! (Haughtily! Lady Catherine decided Burgh)
And so many more...

lizzypopbottle Fri 31-Mar-17 12:48:50

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pollyperkins Fri 31-Mar-17 12:51:40

Yes i think you are right notnecwiser. My mother used to say that too!
Another one from Blackadder is I've got a cunning plan!

I quite often say 'Thats going from the sublime to the ridiculous 'which I learnt in O level History- I think it was said by Castereifh, or was it Canning? Anyway it produces funny looks sometimes!

pollyperkins Fri 31-Mar-17 12:55:36

Castlereigh I meant

pensionpat Fri 31-Mar-17 12:58:24

My DIL sometimes says to her husband "Then do so, Mr. Allnutt". African Queen.

lesley4357 Fri 31-Mar-17 13:10:28

As a family we tend to use The Simpsons and Father Ted. Haven't had an occasion that can't be improved by a "Homerism" !

lesley4357 Fri 31-Mar-17 13:15:19

From The Simpsons - "you don't make friends with salad" - sung every time I suggest we have salad

beckywitch Fri 31-Mar-17 13:23:03

Think that was Al Read on the radio.

0wlfred Fri 31-Mar-17 13:33:46

Sheldon: I would have been here sooner but the bus kept stopping for other people to get on it.
(Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory)

HootyMcOwlface Fri 31-Mar-17 13:42:30

A few of ours:
If anyone says anything that could be taken a different way, we often add "As the actress said to the bishop"
"You stupid woman" from Allo Allo, said with a French accent.
"That'll do donkey, that'll do" and "Can you not be yourself for 5 minutes!" Both from Shrek
"Well OK then" in American accent (Steve McQueen - The Great Escape)

rosesarered Fri 31-Mar-17 13:55:41

We say ' too late was the cry!' No idea where it comes from though.
Greyduster my DH is a Trekkie fan too ( not me) and has been known to mutter 'lasers on stun!' When seeing aquaintences he doesn't like, heading our way.grin
Yes, 'Home James and don't spare the horses' 'infamy, infamy!' Etc. And 'It is I, Le Cler/Clerc' 'mentioned in dispatches' .

Mawbroon thank you for the funny Blackadder quotes, I remember that scene ( from a Christmas Carol, future?)

rosesarered Fri 31-Mar-17 13:57:29

Oh, DH also says ( usually when I suggest something for dinner) 'make it so!'

Womble54 Fri 31-Mar-17 14:17:45

Katek, I think the quote is, "Don't let's ask for the moon - we have the stars", and it's from Now Voyager with Bette Davis.

(And Teetime, I'm a music-lover and actually yes I would!)

Sheilasue Fri 31-Mar-17 14:19:54

Loved the cool hand Luke saying often said it to my kids when they were young, and even to my gd when she's glued to her phone or iPad, she does think I am bonkers when I say it.

I do love 'no one puts baby in the corner' from dirty dancing and four candles no fork handles from the two Ronnie still makes me and h laugh.

sunseeker Fri 31-Mar-17 14:40:35

When someone annoys me I have been known to say "Don't make me release the flying monkeys"

If someone is acting up I sometimes say to not take any notice - they are just annoyed that someone dropped a house on their sister! Both references, of course, from Wizard of Oz

Elegran Fri 31-Mar-17 14:42:23

We used to say "Too late, too late, the maiden cried" which is from a highly censorable student ditty popular with the engineering faculty. (I think Galen knows that one - she has quoted from it before now - so it reached medical students too.)

Liaise Fri 31-Mar-17 15:06:24

My mother had a few favourites ,I suspect wartime comedy programmes. One was "shift me mother I'm burning" when none of us would get up and do anything. Probably from sitting by the fire. Another started " it was in a country vicarage with ivy on the walls". Never got any further but the imagination fills in the details. "None of you ever do a hand's turn" would have my cousin turning her hand over and all of us in fits of giggles. Funny how these things stick in the mind. "Gone and never called me mother" was another.

Once you get started on these reminiscences so much comes back.

GillT57 Fri 31-Mar-17 15:14:15

Oh we use a lot of these! Beam me up Scottie More tea, vicar? (this usually when someone has made a rude noise, sometimes the reply is no thank you, it makes me fart grin. You may think so, but I couldn't possibly comment We also use references to Dorian Grey and portraits in the attic, especially about a friend who looks about 20 years younger than he is. I always feel a kinship with anyone who agrees, and doesn't wonder what he hell I am talking about, it is almost like sharing a secret code!

Womble54 Fri 31-Mar-17 15:23:54

Two of my favourites are, "Right notes, not necessarily in the right order" (Morecambe and Wise on Grieg's Piano Concerto by Grieg), and "Should've gone to Specsavers", when I don't spot something, which happens quite often.

pollyperkins Fri 31-Mar-17 16:31:43

Talking of old comedians, who used to say 'there was enough trouble at our Ethels wedding!' ?
More in jokes within the damily refer to sayings by people long gone likw DK's father who always asked for 'just 'alf a cup' when offerred a cup of tea ad my fatger who frequentlt said 'Take these biscuits away Mabel' when he thought he was eating too many. We use these frequently.

gulligranny Fri 31-Mar-17 16:37:56

I have laughed a lot at this wonderful thread, thank you ladies.

"Tempting, but .. no" from Notting Hill is one of my frequent sayings. Also, when a situation is rather odd or peculiar "So unlike the homelife of our own dear Queen", but I've no idea where it's from. I also use "Gone and never called me Mother", and I'm happy to know I'm not alone! Another that I use often is "Call me early mother dear, for I'm to be Queen of the May", much quoted by dear departed and much missed Terry Wogan on his breakfast programme.

DH, if I'm in a different room and he wants to tell me something; "Can you hear me, mother" Might be from ITMA?