May 24, 2005 20:11
19 yrs ago
2 viewers *
English term
You can't get the wood, you know
English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
It's a catchphrase from "The Goon Show". I found this explanation
Henry Crun, aged idiot inventor and beau of Minnie Bannister. Both characters first appeared in the episode "London's Last Tram" based on the Kingsway tramway subway. His famous catchphrase, ***"You can't get the wood, you know"***, was a satirical reference to British postwar austerity.
but I still fail to understand its further meaning and why it became so famous (probably the most famous catchphrase of the whole show). That is, I don't get the reference to British postwar austerity. Thanks in advance.
Henry Crun, aged idiot inventor and beau of Minnie Bannister. Both characters first appeared in the episode "London's Last Tram" based on the Kingsway tramway subway. His famous catchphrase, ***"You can't get the wood, you know"***, was a satirical reference to British postwar austerity.
but I still fail to understand its further meaning and why it became so famous (probably the most famous catchphrase of the whole show). That is, I don't get the reference to British postwar austerity. Thanks in advance.
Responses
+6
1 hr
Selected
Well...
after WW2 there was a shortage of many everyday items in the UK, and rationing continued for some years after the war (sweets didn't come off ration until 1953, for example). There was a general attitude of "make do and mend", getting by without luxuries, "putting up" with things - even new items were often poor quality and simple (post-war furniture for example was called "Utility " furniture). Thus, whenever you wanted something repairing, such as a household appliance, a bike, a car etc - and not many people had cars! - you would often be told, "Sorry, I can't mend it - you can't get the parts, you know".
So this phrase a) echoes what people would have been used to hearing every day and b) makes the situation more ridiculous by taking a material which you would think would be plentiful (i.e. it's not "you can't get the steel/cement/spare parts" etc, but wood - and it also fits well into the context of the episode. When most people had coal fires you often used to hear people joke, "Don't put so much wood on the fire - it doesn't grow on trees, you know!" - a jokey play on the phrase "money doesn't grow on trees", i.e. you have to work for it, not just pick it up).
[When my children were young, they used to love an American children's book called "Treehorn's Treasure", in which money actually does grow on trees!).
Even today, you often hear people say "You can't get the staff, you know", as a jokey reference to somebody's inefficiency - could be your spouse, neighbour, workmate etc - in a "folk memory" of this type of phrase. THe Goons were fond of imitating "jobsworths:, petty officials and unhelpful tradesmen, so this phrase suited the tenor of the show.
HTH!
So this phrase a) echoes what people would have been used to hearing every day and b) makes the situation more ridiculous by taking a material which you would think would be plentiful (i.e. it's not "you can't get the steel/cement/spare parts" etc, but wood - and it also fits well into the context of the episode. When most people had coal fires you often used to hear people joke, "Don't put so much wood on the fire - it doesn't grow on trees, you know!" - a jokey play on the phrase "money doesn't grow on trees", i.e. you have to work for it, not just pick it up).
[When my children were young, they used to love an American children's book called "Treehorn's Treasure", in which money actually does grow on trees!).
Even today, you often hear people say "You can't get the staff, you know", as a jokey reference to somebody's inefficiency - could be your spouse, neighbour, workmate etc - in a "folk memory" of this type of phrase. THe Goons were fond of imitating "jobsworths:, petty officials and unhelpful tradesmen, so this phrase suited the tenor of the show.
HTH!
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you all!"
18 mins
You can't get what's already missing
[From The Oxford Dictionary of Catchphrases] ...His catchphrase is often used to bring an end to these seemingly pointless discussions, and is a handy saying to indicate an old timer's acceptance of whatever is lacking or missing.
That's all for now, Duca. See if I can dig up anything else.
That's all for now, Duca. See if I can dig up anything else.
29 mins
there's a shortage of wood
“You can't get the wood, you know”: Said by Henry Crun when asked just about anything. Also the subtitle of one of the commercial releases. This, of course, refers to the shortages of materials during and after the Second World War (``there's a shortage of shortages'' - altro tormentone dello stesso personaggio...)
In un episodio qualcuno vuole spedire neve in Africa - e Crun continua a ripetere che non si trova più legna (per costruire le casse che dovrebbero ipoteticamente contenere la neve) - solo che poi continua a ripeterlo in decine di contesti diversi.
Nel link trovi lo script dell'episodio.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 31 mins (2005-05-24 20:42:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
nello script, guarda tra pagina 7 e pagina 8.
In un episodio qualcuno vuole spedire neve in Africa - e Crun continua a ripetere che non si trova più legna (per costruire le casse che dovrebbero ipoteticamente contenere la neve) - solo che poi continua a ripeterlo in decine di contesti diversi.
Nel link trovi lo script dell'episodio.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 31 mins (2005-05-24 20:42:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
nello script, guarda tra pagina 7 e pagina 8.
13 hrs
references for Ruth's "Both phrases (wood/staff) also have a sexual innuendo, "
SARUMAN - EMULE PORTAL - EDONKEY - Downloads -
... lol! Their male talent is having wood problems, so our hero decides to volunteer. After a very, very funny jab at very bad set up porn, he fails to get wood. ...
www.saruman.com.br/modules.php?name=Edonkey& d_op=viewdownload&cid=16&min=60&orderby=dateD.
Fast Seduction 101 Player Guide Board - broomstick
... Now, I strive to get wood when a girl dances with me. Oh, some are turned off by wood, but those are the minority and not a very desirable minority. ...
www.fastseduction.com/cgi-bin/ ib/topic.cgi?forum=33&topic=4
Comments on 16367 | MetaFilter
... Her nipples get wood! And there’sa chain reaction–I get wood! I get wood! great climax to the article. :) posted by afx114 at 3:29 PM PST on April 15 ...
www.metafilter.com/mefi/16367
Porn City News: How To Become A Porn Star
... For men there’s always the risk of “stage fright”, which in porn means that you don’t get wood the way you need to get wood, keep wood… “be the wood”. ...
www.porncitynews.com/howtobeapornstar/male/male.htm
The Italian and The Unicorn (Part 2) by Gaither Stewart
... Yet he was embarrassed when they said of him, 'he can always get wood. ...They said you could get rich in films if you could get wood anytime, ...
www.theroseandthornezine.com/ Fiction/42italianandunicorn2.html -
... lol! Their male talent is having wood problems, so our hero decides to volunteer. After a very, very funny jab at very bad set up porn, he fails to get wood. ...
www.saruman.com.br/modules.php?name=Edonkey& d_op=viewdownload&cid=16&min=60&orderby=dateD.
Fast Seduction 101 Player Guide Board - broomstick
... Now, I strive to get wood when a girl dances with me. Oh, some are turned off by wood, but those are the minority and not a very desirable minority. ...
www.fastseduction.com/cgi-bin/ ib/topic.cgi?forum=33&topic=4
Comments on 16367 | MetaFilter
... Her nipples get wood! And there’sa chain reaction–I get wood! I get wood! great climax to the article. :) posted by afx114 at 3:29 PM PST on April 15 ...
www.metafilter.com/mefi/16367
Porn City News: How To Become A Porn Star
... For men there’s always the risk of “stage fright”, which in porn means that you don’t get wood the way you need to get wood, keep wood… “be the wood”. ...
www.porncitynews.com/howtobeapornstar/male/male.htm
The Italian and The Unicorn (Part 2) by Gaither Stewart
... Yet he was embarrassed when they said of him, 'he can always get wood. ...They said you could get rich in films if you could get wood anytime, ...
www.theroseandthornezine.com/ Fiction/42italianandunicorn2.html -
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