# In the King’s English, what’s a “99”? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, wine\ **Created:** [April 30, 2025, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677 "2025-04-30T01:29:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/21 "2025-04-30T17:55:08Z")
Until today I was sure that’s what 99 was written for/about since the Get Smart movie came out a few months after the song. Do I feel stupid. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/22 "2025-04-30T18:57:01Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I tried an ice cream cone + Flake at a Canadian ice cream shop once. It was fine, but nothing special. Buy one in the West of England (Devon or Cornwall) and you will find quality ice cream and a Cadbury’s flake are an excellent match (Of course, Cadbury’s have gone downhill since Kraft took over, but the flakes are okay). Also, bear in mind that back in the 1960s it was quite a treat, with little competition. I sold ice cream in South Wales, and the basic recipe was skimmed milk powder, margarine, sugar and vanilla essence. No cream. After being passed through the Italian machine, the volume was increased sevenfold. What you got was mostly air. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/23 "2025-04-30T19:12:34Z")
I have to say the Cadbury flake bar looks amazing. I would try a “99” Icecream treat. Whatever the heck the name means. @bob_2 whatever you said makes absolutely no sense. Could you translate? The kings english isn’t working for me 😃 ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/24 "2025-04-30T19:39:42Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > Not surprised - a 99 is usually that fairly flavourless compressed-air soft serve stuff Specifically, I found it to pretty dull because I’ve never had the experience of eating a candy bar and thinking to myself “I wish this candy bar was colder and slightly wet”. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/25 "2025-04-30T20:58:17Z")
[I thought it might be a ‘99’!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99_call) - which was a (sometimes) ‘code’ for an organised rumble or streetfight. It came from a rugby tour in the 1970s - if the captain called ‘99’, everyone just bashed the opponent next to them - rugby was one of those sports that ‘allowed’ a certain amount of illegal violence, because it was a ‘tough man’s game!’. In extreme circumstances, the referee might give a perpretator a stern talking to. I know some of the organised soccer hooligan gangs from that time used ‘calls’ to alert their members to start the fight. Probably a relief to hear someone say - ‘Let’s have a 99!’, and then be given an ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/26 "2025-04-30T21:31:52Z")
It’s described as a perfect date. Obviously that means XXX plus 69. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/27 "2025-04-30T21:33:20Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > whatever you said makes absolutely no sense. Could you translate? The kings english isn’t working for me Sorry Beck. Maybe try Google translate 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/28 "2025-04-30T21:38:43Z")
I get the impression that the 99 is one of those foods that’s beloved, not because it itself is all that great, but because it’s associated with fond memories like walking along the beach on vacation. Sort of like s’mores: They’re fussy and difficult to make and don’t reach the potential of any of their three ingredients, but when you eat one, you’re sitting around a campfire with friends, so it’s all good. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/29 "2025-04-30T21:44:47Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > It’s described as a perfect date. Obviously that means XXX plus 69. Isn’t that called a _Caligula_? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/30 "2025-05-01T01:54:54Z")
What is the world’s least favorite position? The 96. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/31 "2025-05-01T06:32:28Z")
> [@Wallaby](#): > > rugby was one of those sports that ‘allowed’ a certain amount of illegal violence, because it was a ‘tough man’s game!’. In extreme circumstances, the referee might give a perpretator a stern talking to. > > I know some of the organised soccer hooligan gangs from that time used ‘calls’ to alert their members to start the fight. It was often said that rugger was a game for hooligans played by gentlemen, and soccer a game for gentlemen played by hooligans. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/32 "2025-05-01T07:38:57Z")
No one said there’d be homework! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/33 "2025-05-01T11:38:32Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I get the impression that the 99 is one of those foods that’s beloved, not because it itself is all that great, but because it’s associated with fond memories like walking along the beach on vacation. Not really. Ice cream on a cone is mostly piled on top, so the flake is useful for pushing it down. Also, the combination of chocolate and vanilla ice cream is excellent. Better than a squirt of flavour or a sprinkle of E-numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/34 "2025-05-01T11:42:07Z")
I don’t know how normal this is, but I always push the flake as far down into the cone as it will go, so you’re eating just ice cream first (with little fragments of flake), then ice cream and flake, then ice cream, flake and cone, then mostly cone and flake. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/35 "2025-05-01T13:50:38Z")
That makes way more sense than what I did, which was just remove the Flake and eat it separately. ---
**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:** [May 2, 2025, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677/36 "2025-05-02T23:47:40Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > What is the world’s least favorite position? > > The 96. No, it’s the 68. That’s where you go down on somebody and they owe you one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-king-s-english-what-s-a-99/1017677.md?page=1)