# Lucy, you've got some 'splainin to do! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779 "2009-05-27T06:20:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/1 "2009-05-27T06:20:13Z")
We all know that line, but according to the _TV’s 50 Funniest Phrases_ show that was on NBC tonight, they claim that line doesn’t actually exist. They showed two similar lines and suggested that we’ve all been mashing two lines together in our heads. Any die-hard Lucy fans out there that can prove or disprove this? ---
**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:** [May 27, 2009, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/2 "2009-05-27T06:38:34Z")
Didn’t see the show, but I’m pretty sure this might indeed be a “Play it, Sam” vs. “Play it again, Sam” situation. As I recall, there was dialogue to the effect: L: Ricky, there’s a good explanation for all this! R: Well? Star’ ‘splainin’! Was this one of the examples on the NBC show? ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/3 "2009-05-27T16:21:10Z")
I thought it was: Lemme 'splain! ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/4 "2009-05-27T16:45:05Z")
I don’t have an answer, but was anyone else surprised that “They killed Kenny! You bastards!” was on network TV? Is “bastards” okay now? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/5 "2009-05-27T16:50:36Z")
> [@choie](#): > > Didn’t see the show, but I’m pretty sure this might indeed be a “Play it, Sam” vs. “Play it again, Sam” situation. As I recall, there was dialogue to the effect: > > L: Ricky, there’s a good explanation for all this! > R: Well? Star’ ‘splainin’! > > Was this one of the examples on the NBC show? Apparently, the two examples given are “All right, start ‘splainin’” and “Lucy, 'splain.” > [@AuntiePam](#): > > I don’t have an answer, but was anyone else surprised that “They killed Kenny! You bastards!” was on network TV? Is “bastards” okay now? Of course it is- I remember, among other things, an episode of _Dilbert_ with a character named Bob Bastard and Bart Simpson singing the word over and over (although, as he pointed out, he was using it in its proper definition). ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/6 "2009-05-27T16:56:46Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I don’t have an answer, but was anyone else surprised that “They killed Kenny! You bastards!” was on network TV? Is “bastards” okay now? Bastards? Bah, when dick become acceptable? ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/7 "2009-05-27T17:05:32Z")
I think Eddie Murphy popularized the “Lucy, you have some ‘splainin’ to do” in his _Delirious_ or _Raw_ stand-up tour. For all the whippersnappers out there: yes, Eddie Murphy actually did off-color stand-up at one time, and not family movies. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/8 "2009-05-27T18:33:11Z")
> [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](#): > > I thought it was: Lemme 'splain! “Lemme 'splain!.. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.” ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/9 "2009-06-02T17:21:19Z")
One bump before oblivion… Apparently it was Eddie Murphy who actually said the “Lucy, you’ve got some 'splainin to do!” line. Any evidence for or against this? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/10 "2009-06-02T17:35:03Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Bastards? Bah, when dick become acceptable? Apparently about the same time douchebag became acceptable! ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/11 "2009-06-02T18:16:49Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Bastards? Bah, when dick become acceptable? Folks were accepting dick long before television existed. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/12 "2009-06-02T18:29:04Z")
It was Robert Duvall in “Stakeout” when I first heard the line. 1987. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/13 "2009-06-02T18:37:15Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Bastards? Bah, when dick become acceptable? > [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Apparently about the same time douchebag became acceptable! Well, don’t forget, douchebag became acceptable on [SNL](http://snltranscripts.jt.org/79/79tdouchebag.phtml) in 1980. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/14 "2009-06-02T19:22:22Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Folks were accepting dick long before television existed. 😛 Well I certainly asked for that 😉 (pun intended) Seriously, even though I’m not offended by anything, somehow dick seems to have a slightly nastier tone to it than douchebag. When I saw the SNL skit that **cochrane** refers to, it was nasty but in a fun way. Maybe because the use of douchebag as an insult wasn’t as widespread at that time? I could be wrong, but didn’t they censor the dick part in “Dick in a Box”? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/15 "2009-06-02T20:03:50Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > I could be wrong, but didn’t they censor the dick part in “Dick in a Box”? They did indeed. NBC later offered an uncut version online. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/16 "2009-06-02T22:03:53Z")
> [@Isosleepy](#): > > It was Robert Duvall in “Stakeout” when I first heard the line. 1987. Pretty sure that was Emilio Estevez with that line in that movie. That’s the first place I heard it too. I don’t know offhand if that was before or after Eddie Murphy. At the time I didn’t think it was meant to be a direct quote - it seemed more like it was just supposed to be the _kind_ of thing that Ricky Ricardo might say if he found the house in a shambles. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/17 "2009-06-02T22:35:11Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I don’t have an answer, but was anyone else surprised that “They killed Kenny! You bastards!” was on network TV? Is “bastards” okay now? Jon Stewart loves you for considering Comedy Central network TV. (As opposed to Basic Cable.) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-youve-got-some-splainin-to-do/497779/18 "2009-06-02T23:14:17Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I don’t have an answer, but was anyone else surprised that “They killed Kenny! You bastards!” was on network TV? Is “bastards” okay now? > [@Voyager](#): > > Jon Stewart loves you for considering Comedy Central network TV. (As opposed to Basic Cable.) I think **AuntiePam** was referring to hearing the phrase on the NBC special, _TV’s 50 Funniest Phrases_. NBC is, of course, network TV.