# If I Say "It Goes Up to 11," Do You Know What I'm Talking About? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 16, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616 "2011-02-16T18:51:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/61 "2011-02-17T22:36:33Z")
It was also referenced on _Shaun the Sheep_ much to my amusement and resulted in a few questioning glances as a result. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/62 "2011-02-17T22:55:50Z")
Got it easy and I even use the phrase. My geezer buddies also know the “film”; I have the DVD. Of course we have most of Monty Python if not memorized; on short recall. Another oft remembered answer to everything even before the Hitchhiker movie; “42” comes up in our conversations. ---
**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:** [February 17, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/63 "2011-02-17T23:30:34Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > I had a similar thing happen to me a year or two back. > There was a story on the BBC about a smaller version of Stonehenge being found. > I was reading it over the shoulder of a 20-something colleague. > > Me - Ah! 18 inches high is it? > > Him - No! what would be the point of that? > > Me - :smack: “We used to have a woodhenge here but it rotted” do you know that one? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/64 "2011-02-17T23:42:31Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Of course we have most of Monty Python if not memorized; on short recall. My dad owns the store that I work at so from time to time people will say “Someday this will all be yours” to which I respond “What, the curtains?” Even to Monty Python fans, that seems a bit too obscure when it comes out of nowhere. https://www.youtube.com/embed/LLAlYEJQmeI?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/65 "2011-02-17T23:46:56Z")
Oh, btw: there’s a category of films where it takes a certain style of humor to think it’s funny. Even though I understand the reference, it’s not funny to me. On the other hand, my friends and I spend an inordinate amount of time quoting from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. On the third hand, we never, ever mention the Life of Brian. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/66 "2011-02-18T00:12:49Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > I am disappointed, but I am not surprised. The kids these days don’t know nothing. A friend complained that she got her shoes wet and I said “Those things don’t work on water, unless you’ve got power” and no one got it. I’ve seen that movie, multiple times, and the reference would have been lost on me (had to google it and went “ooooh!” and knew what scene it was from as soon as I saw the movie). I wasn’t aware of that line being much of a meme. The phrase in the OP, however, I know and I have NOT seen that movie. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/67 "2011-02-18T01:13:56Z")
I don’t know what any of you are talking about. I hate being old. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/68 "2011-02-18T01:15:38Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > The best part of the movie is the stuff they made fun of that hadn’t happened yet. Like the drummer dying in a tragic gardening accident. (Jeff Porcaro, Toto) > > Or the perfectly black cover of an album. (Metallica, ‘Black Album’) > > Or getting lost backstage. (Also Metallica, IIRC.) I can’t remember who it was, but some rock star was commenting on something that happened to his band that had previously happened to Spinal Tap. He said that the only thing more embarassing than having Spinal Tap imitating your career was having your career imitate Spinal Tap. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/69 "2011-02-18T02:16:18Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > You can’t expect people in the real world to get pop culture or Internet meme references. You just can’t. Amen. That’s one of the things I find most amusing (sad?) about the SDMB threads. Many of the posters, not really representative of the population at large, write as if they assume people in the real world share the poster’s culture and memories. This is often not so. Although I have no figures to back up the claim, I suspect a majority of people in the US have never heard of **This Is Spinal Tap** , let alone seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/70 "2011-02-18T02:35:12Z")
I want LARGE bread. And what’s in here…no one, and in here… a little guy. I always check my olives for “little guys”. I’ve even taught my son to call pimento “little guys”. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/71 "2011-02-18T02:42:42Z")
> [@Ronald\_C.Semone](#): > > I suspect a majority of people in the US have never heard of **This Is Spinal Tap** , let alone seen it. You are probably quite correct. The Dope is one spot where a bunch of people \*have \*seen it and \*do \*get the meme, and that’s why I love it here. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/72 "2011-02-18T03:06:25Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > My dad owns the store that I work at so from time to time people will say “Someday this will all be yours” to which I respond “What, the curtains?” Even to Monty Python fans, that seems a bit too obscure when it comes out of nowhere. > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLAlYEJQmeI&NR=1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLAlYEJQmeI&NR=1) Especially if you’re not looking out a curtained window at “all this” at the time. > [@Superhal](#): > > I have a new personal expression: never be surprised at what somebody doesn’t know. That’s a good rule to have, especially dealing with artifacts of pop culture. _All_ movie memes are minority interests. A good friend of mine has never seen _Star Wars_. Lots of people rarely-to-never see _any_ pop movie. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/73 "2011-02-18T03:30:25Z")
I know the phrase, but until this thread didn’t know where it was from. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/74 "2011-02-18T10:01:59Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] Apparently it made a lot of rock stars feel pretty foolish. [/QUOTE] Jimmy Page and Robert Plant certainly. Oh, you meant _Spinal Tap?_ I think all films about rock musicians would be greatly improved by the addition of jewish comediennes. I don’t know who they could’ve used back in Zeppelin’s day (Goldie Hawn?) but I recon _It Might Get Loud_ would’ve been better with Sarah Silverman instead of Jack White. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/75 "2011-02-18T10:41:42Z")
Me and my family are currently under attack in our large castle which has unsatisfactory aqueous defenses. I think we’re gonna need a bigger moat. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/76 "2011-02-18T14:09:22Z")
I found out about one year ago, in these same boards; a few days later it came up in one of my translation classes and I had serious trouble keeping a straight face because of the coincidence. Nobody else in the class was familiar with the line, much less with its origins, but they were all in their 20s and most were from non-English speaking countries; those from English-speaking countries were British. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/77 "2011-02-18T17:43:26Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Oh, btw: there’s a category of films where it takes a certain style of humor to think it’s funny. Even though I understand the reference, it’s not funny to me. On the other hand, my friends and I spend an inordinate amount of time quoting from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. On the third hand, we never, ever mention the Life of Brian. But that’s the best one! And just about the only film I can quote from. “He’s not the Messiah. He’s a very naughty boy!” ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/78 "2011-02-18T17:51:30Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > My dad owns the store that I work at so from time to time people will say “Someday this will all be yours” to which I respond “What, the curtains?” Even to Monty Python fans, that seems a bit too obscure when it comes out of nowhere. > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLAlYEJQmeI&NR=1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLAlYEJQmeI&NR=1) > [@PSXer](#): > > I am disappointed, but I am not surprised. The kids these days don’t know nothing. A friend complained that she got her shoes wet and I said “Those things don’t work on water, unless you’ve got power” and no one got it. For both of these, I think the delivery would be the key. “What, the curtains?” in your normal speaking voice would probably leave me puzzled, but delivered in a wavering falsetto British accent, I’d get it immediately. So, too, the “…unless you’ve got POW-wer!” twang would need to be there before the line clicked… ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/79 "2011-02-18T17:59:44Z")
> [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > > I want LARGE bread. > And what’s in here…no one, and in here… a little guy. > > I always check my olives for “little guys”. I’ve even taught my son to call pimento “little guys”. If there’s no little guy in my olive, I will always blurt out, “It’s a complete catastrophe!” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616/80 "2011-02-18T18:23:45Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > The best part of the movie is the stuff they made fun of that hadn’t happened yet. Like the drummer dying in a tragic gardening accident. (Jeff Porcaro, Toto) > > Or the perfectly black cover of an album. (Metallica, ‘Black Album’) > > Or getting lost backstage. (Also Metallica, IIRC.) I believe that the backstage scene is a nod to _Don’t Look Back_, the 1967 Bob Dylan documentary, Dylan gets lost backstage after a concert in Manchester and somewhat desperately asks, “Where’s the door?!” > [@Ronald\_C.Semone](#): > > Amen. That’s one of the things I find most amusing (sad?) about the SDMB threads. Many of the posters, not really representative of the population at large, write as if they assume people in the real world share the poster’s culture and memories. This is often not so. Although I have no figures to back up the claim, I suspect a majority of people in the US have never heard of **This Is Spinal Tap** , let alone seen it. I know this may be hard to fathom, but this film was a cult hit long before the SDMB or the WWW as we know it were around. In other words, it _was_ a “real world” reference. The Web broadened its popularity but the meme existed long before we called things ‘memes’. So there’s no need to get all “oh, these sad, pathetic SDMB nerds!” here. For pete’s sake, as alluded to above, the BBC itself uses it in their official player. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-say-it-goes-up-to-11-do-you-know-what-im-talking-about/571616.md?page=5)