# Question for Dopers of all ages: **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 25, 2015, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-dopers-of-all-ages/713578 "2015-02-25T12:07:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-dopers-of-all-ages/713578/61 "2015-02-26T17:11:26Z")
Fibber McGee’s closet, to be specific. Didn’t have to look it up. Never saw the basis for the phrase in the original, but have seen clips. ---
**Author:** ![InfernoOrangeSS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@InfernoOrangeSS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InfernoOrangeSS)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-dopers-of-all-ages/713578/62 "2015-02-26T17:30:18Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Since the cat is already out of the bag, let me add that in my understanding it’s also anything you can reach into and grab whatever it is you need, no matter how bizarre or exotic. That was the way the term was used in the book I read: > > _“Henry’s duffel bag is a real McGee’s closet.”_ Would that be like Felix the Cat’s magic bag? ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-dopers-of-all-ages/713578/63 "2015-02-26T18:04:35Z")
> [@InfernoOrangeSS](#): > > Would that be like Felix the Cat’s magic bag? That sounds like a better metaphor to me. “Fibber McGee’s closet” usually refers to a storage space that’s so overstuffed that you can’t open it without things falling all over the place. It doesn’t imply that it’s stuffed with anything useful. Often on the radio show (though not in every episode), McGee would be talking about an incident in his past, and remembers a souvenir he has in his closet. Molly would yell, “No, McGee, don’t!” and the sound effects and audience laughter indicate that McGee opened the door and got buried under a ton of old junk. Captain Kirk in _The Trouble With Tribbles_ comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-dopers-of-all-ages/713578/64 "2015-02-26T18:29:19Z")
Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-dopers-of-all-ages/713578/65 "2015-02-26T20:48:06Z")
I was a teen when my older brother bought Mom a mail order collection of old radio programs on LP. So I’m familiar with Fibber McGee’s Closet, The Great Gildersleeve, Fred Allen, Jack Benny, The Day of Infamy speech, and the Hindenburg exploding. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-dopers-of-all-ages/713578/66 "2015-02-27T00:24:20Z")
Never heard the term before today…but I’m only 47 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-dopers-of-all-ages/713578/67 "2015-02-27T01:41:38Z")
I was born in 1959, long after the demise of McGee and his compatriots, but I was always a fan of old-time radio programs and listened to a lot of them. I think my parents explained it to me when I was little, but I know I’ve listened to a number of episodes since then. And yeah, it’s always been referred to as Fibber McGee’s closet. “Don’t open that door, McGee!” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-dopers-of-all-ages/713578/68 "2015-02-27T01:55:10Z")
> [@InfernoOrangeSS](#): > > Would that be like Felix the Cat’s magic bag? I forget exactly what Henry had in his duffel bag on that occasion, but the Mad Scientists were always using things like Army surplus gear and ham radio equipment to pull pranks in their small town. The actual quote was something like _“Henry’s duffel bag is a regular McGee’s closet. He can reach into it and pull out something you never would have dreamed was in there.”_ Could have been anything from a gastroscope to a dinosaur’s egg; sorry, but I don’t remember right offhand. The book is definitely aimed at young readers, but I would still recommend it to anyone today. It is really, really good! ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-dopers-of-all-ages/713578/69 "2015-02-27T02:44:19Z")
I know the reference to the closet, but it’s the first I heard of Felix the cat’s magic bag. So off to YouTube. The magic bag appears to be a '50s invention. Sacrilege! Felix is supposed to be in black-and-white silents, with question marks and exclaimers appearing over his head _[**!**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs-NmKPDit4)_ ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-dopers-of-all-ages/713578/70 "2015-02-27T03:14:31Z")
Never heard of a Fibber McGee or the closet, even after reading the explanation it’s not something I have any relation to. Felix the cat on the other hand, {sings really badly} _“Felix the cat, the wonderful wonderful cat, whenever he gets in a fix he reaches into his bag of trick…”_ :o [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/amGbBFsiuzc/hqdefault.jpg "Felix The Cat - 1959 - The Magic Bag") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amGbBFsiuzc) ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-dopers-of-all-ages/713578/71 "2015-02-27T03:19:20Z")
62 year old American. Familiar with the term from parental talk. Was not familiar with the term “Hammerspace”, wonder if it somehow relates to “Hammertime”. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-dopers-of-all-ages/713578/72 "2015-02-27T05:01:37Z")
American, born 1951. Never heard it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-dopers-of-all-ages/713578.md?page=3)