My editor doesn't like the phrase "You bet your bippy" but I think it fits the character. Do you think it's a regional term? I'm in NJ (where it's never used) and she's in the south. What do you think?
"You bet your bippy" too regional?
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I don't know if it's a regional thing. I remember it from "Laugh In" and that could (for better or worse) possibly date your character.
What region did you hear the phrase from & what region is your character from? I don't see any reason why a reader couldn't figure out what it meant as long as the phrase makes sense in coming from that character.
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I've never heard anyone use the phrase except my mom - I'm not sure it's regional (she's in California), but it definitely sounds dated to me. What kind of character do you have saying it?
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That's a catch-phrase from Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, which was nationally broadcast on TV late-60s -- early-70s.
Much thanks everyone. I do have an older character using the phrase, so I'll leave it in. Thanks for the input!
Ita been nice of you to put forth your reasoning from the giddyap. Ita saved some folks from taking the trouble to comment. Odd, you had to have known it wasn't a regional term.
What were your intentions?
What were your intentions?
I've never heard that phrase before. I've never heard of Rowan & Martin's Laugh In, either. What does it mean?
It apparently originated with comedy writers in California, made little sense, was repeated around the country for a time. It is definitely not anything southern.
I looked it up. "You bet your (sweet) Bippy/Bippie" means "you bet your ***". Bippy being a euphemism for the thing most humans sit on. Cute... 0_0
People must have been easier to entertain back then...
People must have been easier to entertain back then...
Just my honest reaction, I lived in the South and never heard anyone use the phrase except way back when. For those who live in other regions, it might come across as too "cute."
Since your editor is Southern, how about using a timeless expression that wears well everywhere, such as, "You bet your boots." Or, to put it more accurately, "You betcher boots, Bud!"
Since your editor is Southern, how about using a timeless expression that wears well everywhere, such as, "You bet your boots." Or, to put it more accurately, "You betcher boots, Bud!"
I agree with Sentia, it does come off as a bit too cutesy to my northern ear. Said occasionally, I would tolerate it and it could give some 'flavor' to the character but by all means, don't use it as a constant character tag, unless you plan to have a supporting character push her infront of a slow-moving bus upon her completion of the catchphrase. Like that guy who always said "I'll buy that for a dollar!" ugh.. just thinking about it now has spiked my blood pressure about 30 points. I always hated Carson, too. Ugh, and Ed Mcmahon, he was the worst! Telly Savalas was cool, though. His catch phrases were all style.
Thanks for the ideas everyone. I think that perhaps we've inadvertently stumbled on the answer. Maybe my editor hears it too often and doesn't like it because it grates on her nerves because it's too cutesy. I'll have to give the matter some more thought.
As a side note: I, as a northeasterner, have never heard "you bet your boots".
I appreciate everyone taking the time to help me out on this. You guys are the best! THANKS!
As a side note: I, as a northeasterner, have never heard "you bet your boots".
I appreciate everyone taking the time to help me out on this. You guys are the best! THANKS!
Bippy
I live in Indiana, which is pretty far north, and I've heard the phrase about a million times.
It's a perfectly good phrase, athough was made famous as "You bet your sweet bippy," and that's the way I've always heard it. It's a polite way of saying "You bet your sweet ***." But it may be almost as dated as "Sock it to me," another phrase used to death on Laugh-In, though I still hear it a couple of times a year. I do hear such uses as, "Get off your bippy and get to work" somewhat more often.
I've also heard "Look it up in your Funk and Wagnall's" more times than I care to admit. Laugh-in gave us many great things including these phrases. It also gave us Goldie Hawn, and many credit the show as the reason Richard Nixon beat Hubert Humphrey for president.
Editors sometimes like phrases, and sometimes don't. If it fits the character, I'd leave it in.
I live in Indiana, which is pretty far north, and I've heard the phrase about a million times.
It's a perfectly good phrase, athough was made famous as "You bet your sweet bippy," and that's the way I've always heard it. It's a polite way of saying "You bet your sweet ***." But it may be almost as dated as "Sock it to me," another phrase used to death on Laugh-In, though I still hear it a couple of times a year. I do hear such uses as, "Get off your bippy and get to work" somewhat more often.
I've also heard "Look it up in your Funk and Wagnall's" more times than I care to admit. Laugh-in gave us many great things including these phrases. It also gave us Goldie Hawn, and many credit the show as the reason Richard Nixon beat Hubert Humphrey for president.
Editors sometimes like phrases, and sometimes don't. If it fits the character, I'd leave it in.
Did anyone ever actually laugh at those phrases? In my mind's eye, I can picture a young (er...ish?) James Ritchie, squirting Tab and Orville Redenbacher fragments out of his nostrils at the 49,647th time Jo Anne says :Is that a chicken joke?"
Funk & Wagnell's were simply the anti-christ of encyclopedias. I had the unfortunate responsibility of using them as my sole source of reference as a kid for all my school projects.
Funk & Wagnell's were simply the anti-christ of encyclopedias. I had the unfortunate responsibility of using them as my sole source of reference as a kid for all my school projects.
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Yes, people actually laughed at that stuff. It has probably lost a lot in translation considering it's 35 years ago, a different time, a different people. For it's time, Laugh-In was cutting edge stuff. Irreverent, witty, off-beat and poking fun at politicians and news events of the day.
But taken out of context, not understanding the mood of the day, I can see why someone would have a hard time appreciating the humor.
And that's the truth. thbbbbt!
But taken out of context, not understanding the mood of the day, I can see why someone would have a hard time appreciating the humor.
And that's the truth. thbbbbt!
Laugh-In
It wasn't the phrases, it was who used them, and why. Yes, people laughed. A lot. That was a great show. Never missed it. And you simply had to see Richard Nixon pop out and say "Sock it to me?"
And Goldie Hawn was just plain HOT in that bikini. And who wouldn't laugh at hearing "May the good fairy sprinkle stardust on your bippy."
But no Tab and popcorn for me. Those were grape or orange Nehi and MoonPie days. Those were twelve ounce Pepsis in real glass bottles for a dime days. Plus two cents deposit on the bottle, of course. Those were six and a half ounce cokes in real glass bottles for only eight cents days. Drink half the Coke, pour in a bag of Planter's Peanuts, and who's your uncle. I don't care what anyone says, Coke and Pepsi both tasted ten times better out of those small, honest to God glass bottles. I could buy a Pepsi or Coke, a bag of Planter's Peanuts, and a candy bar or MoonPie, all for a quarter. And if you were really poor, you could skip the other soft drinks and buy an RC, a Royal Crown Cola. Those were also as good as Coke or Pepsi, and you might even win up to ten dollars when you looked under the cap. The RC company is still around, but then it was a real competitor and wents heads up against Pepsi and Coke.
It occurs to me I may have been somewhat of a backwoods, country bumpkin back then, but Pepsi and Coke have never been the same, and you can't even get a decent MoonPie these days. Things all taste like cardboard now.
BuffStuff said:
It wasn't the phrases, it was who used them, and why. Yes, people laughed. A lot. That was a great show. Never missed it. And you simply had to see Richard Nixon pop out and say "Sock it to me?"
And Goldie Hawn was just plain HOT in that bikini. And who wouldn't laugh at hearing "May the good fairy sprinkle stardust on your bippy."
But no Tab and popcorn for me. Those were grape or orange Nehi and MoonPie days. Those were twelve ounce Pepsis in real glass bottles for a dime days. Plus two cents deposit on the bottle, of course. Those were six and a half ounce cokes in real glass bottles for only eight cents days. Drink half the Coke, pour in a bag of Planter's Peanuts, and who's your uncle. I don't care what anyone says, Coke and Pepsi both tasted ten times better out of those small, honest to God glass bottles. I could buy a Pepsi or Coke, a bag of Planter's Peanuts, and a candy bar or MoonPie, all for a quarter. And if you were really poor, you could skip the other soft drinks and buy an RC, a Royal Crown Cola. Those were also as good as Coke or Pepsi, and you might even win up to ten dollars when you looked under the cap. The RC company is still around, but then it was a real competitor and wents heads up against Pepsi and Coke.
It occurs to me I may have been somewhat of a backwoods, country bumpkin back then, but Pepsi and Coke have never been the same, and you can't even get a decent MoonPie these days. Things all taste like cardboard now.
James, what's a moonpie? I get that it's some sort of sweet, but what specifically? Just curious....
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Moonpie
To put things sort of in perspective, Laugh-In was the "Seinfeld" of it's day. I only use that example because I can't think of any real cutting edge comedy shows on the air today.
But the Seinfeld analogy sort of fits. Laugh-In created many catch-phrases just as Seinfeld did.
You bet your bippy
Sock it to me
Here come da judge
And that's the truth
Very interesting, but stoopid
The flying fickle finger of fate
and so on, just as Seinfeld brought us
Yada yada yada
Talk to the hand
Not that there's anything wrong with that
and so on.
To put things sort of in perspective, Laugh-In was the "Seinfeld" of it's day. I only use that example because I can't think of any real cutting edge comedy shows on the air today.
But the Seinfeld analogy sort of fits. Laugh-In created many catch-phrases just as Seinfeld did.
You bet your bippy
Sock it to me
Here come da judge
And that's the truth
Very interesting, but stoopid
The flying fickle finger of fate
and so on, just as Seinfeld brought us
Yada yada yada
Talk to the hand
Not that there's anything wrong with that
and so on.
Last edited:
Moonpie
Oh, you poor deprived soul. Here's the website http://www.moonpie.com/
And if this link works, here's the page for the way MoonPies were in my youth. They came in chocolate and vanilla then, single decekers all.
http://www.moonpie.com/single/prod_level1.asp
IHeartWriting said:
Oh, you poor deprived soul. Here's the website http://www.moonpie.com/
And if this link works, here's the page for the way MoonPies were in my youth. They came in chocolate and vanilla then, single decekers all.
http://www.moonpie.com/single/prod_level1.asp
Yes! And if you live near Quebec, you call them Joe Louis' and wash them down with Pepsi.scribbler1382 said:
Monpies
Traditionally, MoonPies were associated with Southern rednecks, all of whom supposed sat around goofing off with a MoonPie in one hand, and a Nehi or bottle of Coke filled with peanuts in the other. I would argue with tis image, but I could have been the poster boy for it. There for a time, I think this image was so strong that it actually hurt sales, but, dang, I loved those things. Especially the vanilla ones.
Traditionally, MoonPies were associated with Southern rednecks, all of whom supposed sat around goofing off with a MoonPie in one hand, and a Nehi or bottle of Coke filled with peanuts in the other. I would argue with tis image, but I could have been the poster boy for it. There for a time, I think this image was so strong that it actually hurt sales, but, dang, I loved those things. Especially the vanilla ones.
MoonPies
In many of the northeastern states, New England, really, they're known as Scooter Pies.
But they're MoonPies, dangit.
scribbler1382 said:
In many of the northeastern states, New England, really, they're known as Scooter Pies.
But they're MoonPies, dangit.
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