cmh@burl.UUCP (Hinton Marlow ) (07/04/85)
The recent wealth of knowledge posted to the net regarding
witches gives me hope that someone out there can answer this
question:
In "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", villagers accuse a local
maiden of being a witch. After going through some rather twisted
and amusing logic, they finally put her to the test - if she weighs
the same as a duck then she is surely a witch. As the balance is
struck, the maiden speaks under the noise and celebration of the
delighted villagers. What did she say?
In all honesty, this is unfair. I don't know the answer and I've
seen the film a dozen times. So that reading this won't be a total
loss, who played the witch? (Hint - She is a regular contributor
to the troupe and teamed with John Cleese to write and star in
"Fawlty Towers".) This I do know.
- Wink Swain d/b/a Marlow Hinton
"Tarts dispensing swords from the bottom of a lake is no basis
for a system of government."allynh@ucbvax.ARPA (Allyn Hardyck) (07/04/85)
In article <767@burl.UUCP> cmh@burl.UUCP (Hinton Marlow ) writes: >In "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", villagers accuse a local >maiden of being a witch. >As the balance is >struck, the maiden speaks under the noise and celebration of the >delighted villagers. What did she say? "It's a fair cop." - i.e. a reasonable punishment. Like "I'll go quietly." Won't bother with the name - sure 85% of net.movies readers know it. (Sure 60% knew the above line.)
jims@hcrvax.UUCP (Jim Sullivan) (07/04/85)
> In "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", villagers accuse a local > maiden of being a witch. After going through some rather twisted > and amusing logic, they finally put her to the test - if she weighs > the same as a duck then she is surely a witch. As the balance is > struck, the maiden speaks under the noise and celebration of the > delighted villagers. What did she say? "That's a fair cop" > In all honesty, this is unfair. I don't know the answer and I've > seen the film a dozen times. So that reading this won't be a total > loss, who played the witch? (Hint - She is a regular contributor > to the troupe and teamed with John Cleese to write and star in > "Fawlty Towers".) This I do know. Carol Cleveland > - Wink Swain d/b/a Marlow Hinton Jim Sullivan
jbtubman@water.UUCP (Jim Tubman [LPAIG]) (07/04/85)
In article <767@burl.UUCP> cmh@burl.UUCP (Hinton Marlow ) writes: >In "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", villagers accuse a local >maiden of being a witch. After going through some rather twisted >and amusing logic, they finally put her to the test - if she weighs >the same as a duck then she is surely a witch. As the balance is >struck, the maiden speaks under the noise and celebration of the >delighted villagers. What did she say? > ... So that reading this won't be a total >loss, who played the witch? (Hint - She is a regular contributor >to the troupe and teamed with John Cleese to write and star in >"Fawlty Towers".) This I do know. She says, "It's a fair cop," meaning, as I understand it, "they caught me fair and square." You can find this information in the book "Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Book)", which contains the first and last versions of the script, along with all the credits, financial information, and lots of neat pictures. By the way, the witch is Connie Booth. Jim Tubman University of Waterloo
leeper@mtgzz.UUCP (m.r.leeper) (07/04/85)
>The recent wealth of knowledge posted to the net regarding >witches gives me hope that someone out there can answer this >question: > >In "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", villagers accuse a >local maiden of being a witch. After going through some >rather twisted and amusing logic, they finally put her to >the test - if she weighs the same as a duck then she is >surely a witch. As the balance is struck, the maiden speaks >under the noise and celebration of the delighted villagers. >What did she say? > She says "It's a fair cop." I think in the crunchy frog sketch someone also says "It's a fair cop." The phrase may be a Britishism. Sort of like "live long and prosper" is an Americanism. It may be the modern equivalent of "bobs your uncle." On the other hand it may be just a Pythonism. Someone out there know more about this particular phrase. Mark Leeper ...ihnp4!mtgzz!leeper
kre@ucbvax.ARPA (Robert Elz) (07/06/85)
In article <903@mtgzz.UUCP>, leeper@mtgzz.UUCP (m.r.leeper) writes: > > >In "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", villagers accuse a > >local maiden of being a witch. After going through some > >rather twisted and amusing logic, they finally put her to > >the test - if she weighs the same as a duck then she is > >surely a witch. As the balance is struck, the maiden speaks > >under the noise and celebration of the delighted villagers. > >What did she say? > > > > She says "It's a fair cop." .... > The phrase may be a Britishism. .... > On the other hand it may be just a > Pythonism. Someone out there know more about this particular phrase. > "It's a fair cop" is phrase that the (Brit, Aust) police say that you said when they verbal you in court. It is famous for being something that no criminal that's caught would *ever* say. (A "verbal" is the police rendition of a verbal confession made by the accused, which was never reduced to writing. It is evidence, sometimes, the only evidence, and can convict by itself. Needless to say, there have been occasions where a policeman, "knowing" he has the perpertrator of some crime, will create a verbal confession for the accused. This is "a verbal". The words "its a fair cop" are (were?) typically used in such cases to indicate that the captured criminal is admitting that his being caught ("copped") is correct, and fair -- he is admitting guilt). I haven't seen "Holy Grail", but this sounds as if its typical Python double humour. Robert Elz ucbvax!kre ps: you wouldn't believe the amount of time my Evidence lecturer spent on the intracacies of the verbal...
mom@sftri.UUCP (Mark Modig) (07/07/85)
> In "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", villagers accuse a local > maiden of being a witch. After going through some rather twisted > and amusing logic, they finally put her to the test - if she weighs > the same as a duck then she is surely a witch. As the balance is > struck, the maiden speaks under the noise and celebration of the > delighted villagers. What did she say? > "It's a fair cop." (British slang, basically meaning you caught me red-handed-- it's sort of like a one-line confession). > In all honesty, this is unfair. I don't know the answer and I've > seen the film a dozen times. So that reading this won't be a total > loss, who played the witch? (Hint - She is a regular contributor > to the troupe and teamed with John Cleese to write and star in > "Fawlty Towers".) This I do know. > Problem here. The regular contributor to the TV series "Monty Python's Flying Circus" (and also the witch) is Carol Cleveland. Connie Booth, who was married to John Cleese at one time, teamed with him to write and star in "Fawlty Towers." Mark Modig ihnp4!sftri!mom
ughenry@sunybcs.UUCP (Henry Neeman) (07/07/85)
> In "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", villagers accuse a local > maiden of being a witch. After going through some rather twisted > and amusing logic, they finally put her to the test - if she weighs > the same as a duck then she is surely a witch. As the balance is > struck, the maiden speaks under the noise and celebration of the > delighted villagers. What did she say? "It's a fair cop." > ...who played the witch? (Hint - She is a regular contributor > to the troupe and teamed with John Cleese to write and star in > "Fawlty Towers".) This I do know. Connie Booth, of course. She not only wrote and starred with Cleese, she was married to him (no longer, though). > - Wink Swain d/b/a Marlow Hinton > "Tarts dispensing swords from the bottom of a lake is no basis > for a system of government." Actually, the quote is "Strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government." If anybody would like me to post the entire scene, I have it transcribed somewhere (although in a few places it's not 100% intelligible on _The_ Album_of_the_Soundtrack_of_the_Trailer_of_the_Film_of_Monty_Python_and_ the_Holy_Grail_). Also the scene from the above quote. -- Henry J. Neeman (ughenry@buffalo) "Yes, well, that's just the sort of blinkered, Philistine pig-ignorance I've come to expect from you non-creative garbage. You sit there on your loathsome, spotty behinds, squeezing blackheads, not caring a tinker's cuss for the struggling artist, you EXCREMENT! You WHINING, HYPOCRITICAL TOADIES with you COLOR T.V. SETS and your Tony Jacklin GOLF CLUBS and your BLEEDING Masonic handshakes!"
eaf@panda.UUCP (Eric A. Freeman) (07/08/85)
In article <767@burl.UUCP> cmh@burl.UUCP (Hinton Marlow ) writes: >In "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", villagers accuse a local >maiden of being a witch. After going through some rather twisted >and amusing logic, they finally put her to the test - if she weighs >the same as a duck then she is surely a witch. As the balance is >struck, the maiden speaks under the noise and celebration of the >delighted villagers. What did she say? I believe she said "It's a fair cop" which is a very english expression for 'they got me fair and square'.
kay@warwick.UUCP (Kay Dekker) (07/08/85)
In article <903@mtgzz.UUCP> leeper@mtgzz.UUCP (m.r.leeper) writes: > >She says "It's a fair cop." I think in the crunchy frog sketch someone >also says "It's a fair cop." The phrase may be a Britishism. Sort of >like "live long and prosper" is an Americanism. It may be the modern >equivalent of "bobs your uncle." On the other hand it may be just a >Pythonism. Someone out there know more about this particular phrase. > A phrase traditionally uttered by a "villain" apprehended by "the long arm of the law". Such a person would, of course, be attired in hooped black-and-white jersey, with a flat cap and an eyemask, and carrying a bag labelled "SWAG" over one shoulder. A more complete form of the phrase is: It's a fair cop, Guv, I'll come quietly. The meaning of the phrase is (roughly): Sir (or Madam), you and I are both professionals; I have been discovered in the execution of a crime by means both legal and above-board; therefore I shall cause you no trouble during the process of my arrest. I am assured by my acquaintances in the police that the phrase is only heard from the lips of those who have seen too many "Cops 'n Robbers" television series. No self-respecting criminal would *ever* utter such hackneyed tripe. Kay. -- "In a world without rational structure, even the most bizarre events must eventually take place." -- Philip Avalon, "On the Resurrection of Reagan" ... mcvax!ukc!warwick!flame!kay
judithd@cvaxa.UUCP (Judith Dennison) (07/23/85)
> Re: "It's a fair cop" The phrase may be a Britishism. May be > a modern equivalent of "bobs your uncle". Who is bob? And why should he be my uncle? Why do you imply "bobs your uncle" is less than modern? I hear it at least 20 times a day! I was under the impression that it meant: Sir (or Madam), the foregoing is manifestly demonstrable from the premises previously stated.