I know the phrase and where it’s from but I have never seen the movie and don’t have any plans to in the future.
Also the OP works with cows. I’m not surprised a cow would not know the phrase.
Sort of a Cups and Cakes-type gathering, I take it?
I’ve never seen it, but I do know what movie the line is from. It’s one of those things, like “the cake is a lie” or “all your base are belong to us” that you don’t need to be overly familiar with the source to be aware of.
Wow, you really get that push over the cliff!
The what is a what now?
More like stale donuts and coffee. Our donuts only go to 7.
Hmmmmm, I think this is a little different. Many if not most of us have been watching TWoO since before we were old enough to understand it. Just the fact that it’s a family movie makes it far more accessible. "This is Spinal Tap (boxed for anyone who doesn’t know what we’re talking about) is more of a cult classic. I can probably predict with a fair amount of accuracy whether any given person I’m speaking to would get the reference.
There’s also the actual xkcd strip which I’m pretty sure kenobi’s post referenced.
(And I’m a little shocked to be the xckd poster here - I’m usually way too late on these things.)
Portal
The game: (click “read the review”)
The song in question:
*now has GLaDOS stuck in her head for the rest of the week… *
Not sure if it’s connected or not. I linked to Peavey’s line of Vypyr modeling amps (I have the baby 15-watt model), which do, indeed, go to 12. I have no idea if they had any knowledge of the xkcd strip (or if the strip even predates the introduction of the amps), but the volume knob on the amp is clearly inspired by Spinal Tap.
Heh…I just went to take a look at the PDF of the owner’s manual (I’m not at home at the moment), and I was mistaken…Vypyr amps actually go to 13!
Peavey Vypyr Owner’s Manual (warning: big PDF)…go to page 9.
You’re talking about BBC iPlayer, right? 
You can’t expect people in the real world to get pop culture or Internet meme references. You just can’t.
I’m pretty familiar with what it means, but then not only have I seen the movie loads of times, I work for a company called One Louder. (My boss is a Spinal Tap fanatic.)
It was our tenth birthday last year, and we wanted to do something to celebrate, but we decided to forgo having a big anniversary party until this year, so we can have it on our 11th birthday. Fortunately it’s in November, and even more fortunately the 11th falls very conveniently on a Friday, so yes we are having the One Louder 10th Birthday Party on it’s 11th birthday of 11/11/11.
I’m so old that I once knew what it was, forgot it, and had to be reminded by this thread.
I’ve never gotten around to seeing the movie.
I wasn’t able to find that.
I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I just bought it and immediately loaned it out to a friend. I’ve known the saying for years without even seeing the clip. I am a big Christopher Guest fan.
I have a new personal expression: never be surprised at what somebody doesn’t know.
After I made that expression, I found out even Einstein commented on it:
“Cheeky bastard!”
In the game “Portal” you’re repeatedly promised that when you finish the game you’ll be rewarded with a party with cake. At one point in a room in the game there are scrawlings on the wall, among them “The cake is a lie!”
There is no standard numerical scale for amp dials - however, Marshall’s as a rule do go up to 10 and that is what Nigel was dealing with in the scene in question, IIRC. We do refer to “diming” controls - i.e., turning them up to 10 - but that usually refers to the controls on the electric guitar itself, which are typically standardized on a scale of 10 - Gibsons and Fenders anyway…
So if you walk into a Guitar Center, you will see amps that go up to a variety of max’s…
…but if while you are there you see a real sunburst Les Paul, just pick it up - don’t plug it in - and listen to that sustain.
btw, I do believe that Christopher Guest and Michael McKean met discussing guitars, not comedy or acting. Both are total guitar geeks.