The character was inspired by an old Monty Python sketch where there would be a group of different people waiting in the pharmacy for their prescriptions, then John Cleese would walk out and shout loudly, "Alright, who's got the pox!", then hold a tube of cream and shout "Who's got a boil on their bum!". Thankfully Harry did the original skit justice and gave it his own unique and hilarious twist.
'MINA!!' gets me every time, and what a great South African accent! I wonder if Harry actually spent any time there but he's so good at accents, probably nor. The late cricket commentator and SA-born former England captain, Tony Grieg, used to crack us up with expressions like 'Oh thet wan cort'im wuth 'is pents at horf-morst' (rough phonetic approximation). Of course he knew exactly what he was doing. And so do you. Nice choice again, Megan. I was hoping for this one. A post from you always makes my day.
This recalls the period after the end of Apartheid in South Africa when there were suddenly a lot of Dutch-ancestry South Africans showing up in the UK, and the degree of culture clash between the Afrikaaners with their habits of using "command presence" around subordinates because that was their habit with black workers in South Africa, and relative bluntness and rudeness, and British society and manners. The use of the word "must" in place of should, would, can or want to do any particular thing, stands out in my memory, because they were so used to giving orders to servants. We get similar kinds of gaucheness and loudness from our toff ruling class as well, all the abnormal tics, mannerisms and braying accent of the ex-public school boys and girls. Public Schools here meaning the very expensive private boarding schools where the strange accent and psychological abnormalities are cultivated in gender-segregated children separated from their parents who are imprisoned together amid intense bullying, hierarchy and competitiveness. Harry Enfield's Tim Nice-But-Dim character shows an example of the type.
Your shop story reminds of the the time my naive Aunt worked in a sports shop for a short time, a man asked her if they sold cricket boxes and she said " I don't know is that to keep your balls in ? " well she was kind of right 😂
Fun fact. The term 'stool' for feasces originates in medaival England. The king had an official bottom wiper who would sit on a stool (as in piece of furniture) behind the king as he took a shit and then wipe him clean when he'd finished. This person was known as, The groom of the stool, and it was considered a privileged job. Often a function performed by a noble. The groom of the stool was in a position of trust and relative power (access to the king at one of his most intimate and potentially, vulnerable moments). Over time, the turds became known, first informally, as stools. It wasn't vulgar and it became a technical thing that doctors used to refer to turds.
The jist of it Megan, is the Afrikaan accent. Not sure if you picked up on it, the "assistant " being a quote; " Cape coloured". He still thinks he's talking to the "Kaffirs". The segregation now, is as it's ever been.
Hi Megan, hope you are well. Nice to hear of your "chemist / pharmacy" experience. I'm just pleased you managed to learn to get to the "bottom" of things whilst there ! 😉 (Okay, I'll get me coat.)
In the UK we have two different names based on where it's located if it's a shop by it's self it's a chemist shop but its located in a supermarket them it's a pharmacy but just for extra confusion those rules don't always apply and people sometimes call them want they want
The character was inspired by an old Monty Python sketch where there would be a group of different people waiting in the pharmacy for their prescriptions, then John Cleese would walk out and shout loudly, "Alright, who's got the pox!", then hold a tube of cream and shout "Who's got a boil on their bum!". Thankfully Harry did the original skit justice and gave it his own unique and hilarious twist.
'MINA!!' gets me every time, and what a great South African accent! I wonder if Harry actually spent any time there but he's so good at accents, probably nor. The late cricket commentator and SA-born former England captain, Tony Grieg, used to crack us up with expressions like 'Oh thet wan cort'im wuth 'is pents at horf-morst' (rough phonetic approximation). Of course he knew exactly what he was doing. And so do you. Nice choice again, Megan. I was hoping for this one. A post from you always makes my day.
This recalls the period after the end of Apartheid in South Africa when there were suddenly a lot of Dutch-ancestry South Africans showing up in the UK, and the degree of culture clash between the Afrikaaners with their habits of using "command presence" around subordinates because that was their habit with black workers in South Africa, and relative bluntness and rudeness, and British society and manners. The use of the word "must" in place of should, would, can or want to do any particular thing, stands out in my memory, because they were so used to giving orders to servants.
We get similar kinds of gaucheness and loudness from our toff ruling class as well, all the abnormal tics, mannerisms and braying accent of the ex-public school boys and girls. Public Schools here meaning the very expensive private boarding schools where the strange accent and psychological abnormalities are cultivated in gender-segregated children separated from their parents who are imprisoned together amid intense bullying, hierarchy and competitiveness. Harry Enfield's Tim Nice-But-Dim character shows an example of the type.
Your shop story reminds of the the time my naive Aunt worked in a sports shop for a short time, a man asked her if they sold cricket boxes and she said " I don't know is that to keep your balls in ? " well she was kind of right 😂
😂 amazing!
The vagaries of language - I bet you were amazed at what a three legged stool was , and how one was excreted - and God forbid - a stool pigeon......
Fun fact. The term 'stool' for feasces originates in medaival England. The king had an official bottom wiper who would sit on a stool (as in piece of furniture) behind the king as he took a shit and then wipe him clean when he'd finished. This person was known as, The groom of the stool, and it was considered a privileged job. Often a function performed by a noble. The groom of the stool was in a position of trust and relative power (access to the king at one of his most intimate and potentially, vulnerable moments). Over time, the turds became known, first informally, as stools. It wasn't vulgar and it became a technical thing that doctors used to refer to turds.
The jist of it Megan, is the Afrikaan accent. Not sure if you picked up on it, the "assistant " being a quote; " Cape coloured". He still thinks he's talking to the "Kaffirs". The segregation now, is as it's ever been.
I aidn' t bother Cathrine Cate show
Love a bit of Harry
So many characters he created over the years
thanks Megan enjoy the rest of your evening.
You’re welcome! Same to you 😊
Megan, do you usually use British English?
It depends! For some words the British versions come naturally. For others, not so much!
It's a take on the local English shop where everybody everybody else's business.
I don't suppose you'd react to some Hale and Pace. Perhaps their most infamous sketch; the cat and microwave one.
Hi Megan, hope you are well. Nice to hear of your "chemist / pharmacy" experience. I'm just pleased you managed to learn to get to the "bottom" of things whilst there ! 😉 (Okay, I'll get me coat.)
great stuff! more pls
love that it never gets boring.
This mate must have a fake accent here lol 😆 Thanks for sharing Megan & have been to the White Lion pub before? 🤔
In the UK we have two different names based on where it's located if it's a shop by it's self it's a chemist shop but its located in a supermarket them it's a pharmacy but just for extra confusion those rules don't always apply and people sometimes call them want they want
02:00 Megan Ruth was practically Mina.
oh... this is so funny..
Yes, you are a we🇬🇧
Yay! 😀
We just have to do the initiation ritual
Great to see a woman with a sense of humour nowadays.
I wish you rainbows, Megan.
Of course a Canadian is a us,🇬🇧👍
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Didn't know this Harry Enfield sketch existed but it is hilarious! 😂 The Prozac joke would never fly now but still.