Any old people know?

Question

When someone comes on TV at Grans and the announcer says
"let's hear it for... whoever or "put your hands together for...whoever, Grandad always says "with Mabel under the table and Violet on the piano." Mum says dont ask its just Grandad being silly but I know she knows. Can some old person explain plse. Is it rude or something?

I meant old people like my grandad. He's 71 and that's old if he was 18 he would by young.

Answer 1

its not rude.it was 1 of Wilfred pickles catch phrases on his radio show Workers Play Time

Answer 2

your gran and grandad must be really old - or else have excellent memories.

as another poster has already pointed out the catchphrase 'mabel at the table and violet at the piano' came from wilfred pickles radio quiz 'have a go!' which was popular just after wwii and on into the early 1950s.

mabel was wilfred's wife and violet was the actress violet carsons who later became a media celebrity in her role of 'ena sharples' in coronation street. ('ena sharples' was one of the first tv soap characters to feature in effigy at madame tussauds in london).

i can (just) remember listening to 'have a go' at my grandmother's house when i was very young. wikipedia says the show continued until 1967 - but only very old people still listened to radio quiz shows after about 1964.

the phrase 'take the money / open the box' - mentioned by another poster - is nothing to do either with wilfred pickles or with radio. it was the catch-line from michael miles' 'take your pick' a popular early tv quiz.

'take your pick" ran from 1955 until 1968 and made a speciality of having contestants who were often facially disfigured (but sometimes only spectacularly ugly) and just slightly less informed than the ordinary man in the street. the big attraction of the show for most of its viewers was seeing competitors unable to answer questions which most of the tv viewers would have been able to answer themselves.

"take your pick" was an important transition stage in migrating quiz shows from being general knowledge competitions to their later status as being displays of how easily people can be humiliated on tv.

of course these days we don't have quiz shows at all - because nobody knows anything.

Answer 3

Back in the olden days, folks devised amusement rather than buying it. Funny sayings were a diversion that didn't cost any money. That's what your Grandad's phrase is. There is probably something either vaguely or explicitly sexual connected with your Grandfather's phrase that your mother either only suspects or doesn't want you to know. We used to have word play that involved adding to most any statement, "when the bed broke down." We thought those were funny and some even hilarious.

Answer 4

Yes, 'Put your hands together for ...' was one of the catch phrases of Wilfred Pickles. Before my time (haha).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Pickles

It was Mabel AT the table, of course, but people often say 'oonder' because it sounds more northern and is funny (used to be). I believe Violet (somebody - thanks, June - Carson) was the pianist.

Another phrase was "Take the money! Open the Box!" (shouted by the audience when one of the contestants had won a prize).

Answer 5

I have been with Mabel under the table while Violet plays the piano. I get laid in spades. What a great time.

Answer 6

Wilfred Pickles quiz show , I think Mabel was his wife and Violet -
Violet Carson out of corrie later on. Sorry not old!!

Answer 7

Whoever knows this has to be really old. It's from some old silent movie.

Answer 8

He's just being funny i heard that before,he knows what really is going on.He probably feels others think it's funny to,by telling him its not might hurt his feelings.

Answer 9

lawerece welk,of the lawerece welk show would say put your hands together for{ that means to clap you hands}when he would introduce a guest. on his show

Answer 10

ehh i think your grandad is a crazy person =] that made no freaking sence at all!!!

Answer 11

Don't know.
But your 'Any old people Know?' question, is a rude insult.