# Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Q **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [December 26, 2021, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-q/956666 "2021-12-26T13:20:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-q/956666/1 "2021-12-26T13:20:31Z")
Does the name “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”–the eponymous car in Ian Fleming’s final novel, and AFAIK his only children’s novel–have any connection to James Bond’s Japanese nickname, “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”? Is “chitty” a Japanese term for “kiss”? ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-q/956666/2 "2021-12-26T13:39:29Z")
“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” is a barely altered reference to the [“Chitty Bang Bang” series of British racing cars built in the 1920s.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitty_Bang_Bang) In both cases it’s a reference to the noise the car’s engine makes. Also, just by the way, as far as I can tell, “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” isn’t James Bond’s “Japanese nickname”. It’s a term used in Japan and Europe to refer to Bond-style spy movies (it’s a pretty succinct summation of the typical plot). It’s been the title of a few spoofs of the genre. The theme for _Thunderball_ does refer to Bond as “Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”. It’s certainly possible that some Japanese refer to Bond the same way, and in that sense maybe it is a nickname. But as far as I can tell, it has nothing to do with “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. ---
**Author:** ![its\_the\_daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bb73d2/32.png) [@its\_the\_daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/its_the_daddy)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-q/956666/3 "2021-12-26T14:08:09Z")
I heard, long ago, that the 1920’s Chittys were named after a ribald song originating in the Royal Flying Corps (forerunner of the RAF). The chorus of the song went “And the cheeks of her arse went chitty-chitty-bang-bang”. Much research by cleverer people than me (of whom there are multitudes) has failed to find the rest of the song. I can give cites to anyone who wants to go down _that_ rabbit-hole. One reference I found also insisted that Dick Van Dyke was oniginally named Penis Van Lesbian. So it must be true! Merry Christmas! ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-q/956666/4 "2021-12-26T15:37:38Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” is a barely altered reference to the [“Chitty Bang Bang” series of British racing cars built in the 1920s.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitty_Bang_Bang) In both cases it’s a reference to the noise the car’s engine makes. This is where I point out that the Navajo word for “automobile” is “chidí”, which is also reference to the noise made by early cars. So the word form close “chitty” or “chiddi” or some variant was pretty common reference to early cars in multiple places and seems a more plausible origin of the novel/movie title and titular car’s name than a cross pollination of the James Bond franchise, even if both had the same creator/author. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-q/956666/5 "2021-12-26T16:06:17Z")
The fictional flying car was indeed named after the racing cars. There is a rumour about how the racing cars got their name. Some say they were not named for the sound they made. It allegedly comes from a World War I song about getting a permission slip to leave barracks to visit a brothel. > **[Chitty bang bang, not a flying car, but lewd military slang](https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/2050777/how-lewd-military-slang-gave-rise-chitty-bang)** > > Ian Fleming’s flying car came later. The original phrase referred to the permission slip soldiers needed to leave the barracks to visit local brothels I’m honestly not sure whether to believe it or not. Although this is presented as fact by 10,000 websites, I can’t find any details about the alleged song. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-q/956666/6 "2021-12-26T16:10:27Z")
Since nobody else has pointed it out, I will note that the author of _Chitty Chitty Bang Bang_ happens to be one Ian Fleming. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-q/956666/7 "2021-12-26T16:21:59Z")
The OP did too. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-q/956666/8 "2021-12-26T16:27:51Z")
FWIW, _Chitty Chitty Bang Bang_ was published before the song, “Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang, Bang”. Both entered pop culture during a time when comic book sound effects had a “moment” of cool. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2021, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-q/956666/9 "2021-12-27T01:03:30Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > The OP did too. True, I somehow misread that but it’s right there. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2021, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-q/956666/10 "2021-12-27T01:52:28Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > Is “chitty” a Japanese term for “kiss”? That made me wonder how “chitty” would be pronounced in Japanese, given that it doesn’t fit into standard Japanese syllables… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/catiLn1qcTM/maxresdefault.jpg "チキチキバンバン (Japanese vers of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=catiLn1qcTM) ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2021, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-q/956666/11 "2021-12-31T07:31:45Z")
I live in South Korea, and prior to the age of covid, local chorus groups used to show up on public squares singing stuff that I had no idea was popular here, like the entire _oeuvre_ of ABBA, and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” There are also popular TV shows where ordinary people sing karaoke-type versions of western songs, and this one is surprisingly high in the rotataion.