# Question for UK dopers: What the hell is a gonk? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2004, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-uk-dopers-what-the-hell-is-a-gonk/224713 "2004-01-16T04:02:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-uk-dopers-what-the-hell-is-a-gonk/224713/1 "2004-01-16T04:02:54Z")
Was watching The Young Ones for the zillionth time and I still don’t know what the hell Neil is talking about- "It was horrible. I sat in the big hall and put my pocket of Polos on the desk. And my spare pencil and my support **gonk**. And my chewing gum and my extra pen. And my extra Polos and my lucky **gonk**. And my pencil sharpener shaped like a cream cracker. And more **gonks** with a packet of Polos in each. And lead for my retractable pencil. And my retractable pencil. And spare lead for my retractable pencil. And chewing gum and pencils and pens and more **gonks** , and the guy says “Stop writing, please.” ---
**Author:** ![Motog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@Motog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motog)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-uk-dopers-what-the-hell-is-a-gonk/224713/2 "2004-01-16T04:20:49Z")
Gonks were small furry soft toys that were the centre of a craze in the 70s. I’ll try to find a picture of one for you ---
**Author:** ![Motog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@Motog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motog)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-uk-dopers-what-the-hell-is-a-gonk/224713/3 "2004-01-16T04:28:59Z")
There’s one about halfway down [this](http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Museum/3278/misc.html) page ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-uk-dopers-what-the-hell-is-a-gonk/224713/4 "2004-01-16T04:53:02Z")
I didn’t know that. And I have nothing else to say other than “that show is fan_ta_stic! Whoo! A++ amazing!”. 😃 Ahem. In fact, the only thing that can possibly beat that is [‘Bottom’](http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/b/bottom_7770880.shtml), starring two of the actors from TYO, Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson. I dunno what happened to the former, but the latter apparently got married and is stunningly normal for someone with such a hilarious acting career. If I could get the DVDs (BBC!! Why Region 2? Why not Region 0? It makes no sennnnnnnnse!!!) I would. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-uk-dopers-what-the-hell-is-a-gonk/224713/5 "2004-01-16T05:05:33Z")
As soon as I read thread title, Neil’s little tale of woe was running through my head. Somewhere within my house lurks a purple gonk that used to belong to my sister. ---
**Author:** ![Bakhesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Bakhesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bakhesh)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-uk-dopers-what-the-hell-is-a-gonk/224713/6 "2004-01-16T12:13:25Z")
> [@Nanoda](#): > > I didn’t know that. And I have nothing else to say other than “that show is fan_ta_stic! Whoo! A++ amazing!”. 😃 > > Ahem. In fact, the only thing that can possibly beat that is [‘Bottom’](http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/b/bottom_7770880.shtml), starring two of the actors from TYO, Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson. I dunno what happened to the former, but the latter apparently got married and is stunningly normal for someone with such a hilarious acting career. > > If I could get the DVDs (BBC!! Why Region 2? Why not Region 0? It makes no sennnnnnnnse!!!) I would. 🆒 Ade Edmondson got married quite a while ago to Jennifer Saunders of Absolutely Fabulous fame. He has just started a new sitcom on BBC1, although I haven’t seen it yet. Rik Mayall has been fairly quiet of late. He had quite a serious accident on a quad bike a few years back, and although he recovered, hasn’t done much since. He is also stunningly normal in real life.