Never heard of it. New Zealander living in the UK, 41.
So it’s from some kind of radio show? It’s things like this that really remind me I am an immigrant and a furriner! Not only did I never hear of it, my parents never listened to American radio shows, and their parents weren’t even in this country. A lot of basic pop culture passes you by - anything from the 60s and before, pretty much, unless you pick it up on your own.
I had heard of it. I was born in 1951. I’m not sure if I ever heard the actual radio show but I’m sure I heard clips of the stuff crashing out of the closet.
And my parents often used the phrase “'T’aint funny, McGee!” when scolding us kids for some mischief.
And here’s the Calvin and Hobbes version.
Never heard of it either and I’m an almost-30 'Murican
Yes, I know what it is and the origin. (I was born in 1968.)[SPOILER]It’s from the old “Fibber McGee and Molly” radio show. One of the show’s running gags was that the title character had a closet stuffed so full of miscellaneous junk that, when the door was opened, stuff would fall out, as demonstrated by the sound effects guys making a complicated clatter.
This may be the best example of an “imagined sight gag”: something that the audience doesn’t actually see but laughs at because of how they imagine it looks.[/spoiler]
Was born after the show went off the air.
Born in the 1970s. I figured it out because the show was rebroadcast on AM radio when I was a kid (and there are a limited number of famous McGees associated with closets), but I’ve never heard anyone use that particular expression.
I haven’t read any replies yet. My memory has Fibber McGee’s closet on old time radio (might be older than the 1950’s but that’s when I would have first heard it) was jam-packed with all sorts of stuff that would make a big noise if anybody opened the closet door and all the stuff came tumbling out.
Haven’t read other responses.
American born in 1961. I recognized the term although it was before my time.
It’s from a radio show, Fibber McGee and Molly. A running joke on the show was the McGee had a closet that was stuffed full of items. Every once in a while, he’d open the door and there would be sound effects of a huge pile of junk falling out.
Born in 1959, but [SPOILER]I listened to a lot of old radio reruns on a local station in the '70s. Even today, I love to download mp3 files of old radio programs to listen to in the car. There’s a fine archive of the program under discussion here.
BTW, I’ve often heard the expression as “Fibber McGee’s closet,” but never just “McGee’s closet.”[/SPOILER]
Exactly… I’ve never heard it referred to as “McGee’s closet” but I made the assumption that it must be the same as “Fibber McGee’s closet.” I knew what it was due to my Dad, but I never heard the actual show (I’m 53).
Like many others have said, I’m vaguely familiar with the idea, and knew where it came from, without ever having actually heard the show in question. Somehow I picked it up through osmosis. I also don’t believe that I’ve ever heard “McGee’s closet” as an expression.
I am much more familiar with the idea from the 60s cartoon Tennessee Tuxedo, which used the same running gag in regard to Mr. Whoopee’s closet.
i can’t answer this. i am not all ages, only one at the moment.
listen regularly now so know.
my parents and contemporaries did refer to it.
we did have a kitchen drawer that got referred to as a McGee drawer.
American, 57, born in 1957, and know what it is and where it is from, though ALWAYS as Fibber McGee’s closet. My parents used the term with us a lot.
Yes, I know what it refers to.
Slightly before my time, but my generation (b. 1948) tended to know things from our parents’ time, because our parents sat around and talked about things in front of us. At the dinnertable every day, before 24-hour/500-channel TV, and on long drives. I’m not sure that goes on all that much anymore.
I knew. I usually mash it up as Pandora McGee’s purse or Pandora McGee’s garage. Sometimes people get it.
I’d heard the term, and understood its connotation, but didn’t know the origin.
Yes.
I had to think about it for a minute because I’ve never heard it referred to exactly that way, but when I realized it was referring to
Fibber McGee’s closet
then I got it. I just turned 50, and I had a high-school friend who liked old radio shows.