# What is the origin of this joke? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 1, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-joke/328940 "2005-11-01T18:30:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-joke/328940/21 "2005-11-02T04:32:48Z")
633squadron writes: \> I am sure I saw it with Marty Feldman on TV, long before Monty Python ever \> came out. I saw it on the same show, I think. In 1970, there was a summer replacement show for _The Dean Martin Show_ called _The Golddiggers in London_. O.K., several terms here need to be explained for you youngsters. It used to be common for TV shows that lasted a while, particularly variety shows, to have a summer replacement series tied to them. The host of the show would want to take the summer off, but the network wanted to keep the viewers of the show faithful during that time. So there would be a similar series which would last for just the summer which would be tied to the regular series. _The Dean Martin Show_ was a popular long-lasting variety show. Each summer it would be replaced by a summer show. The dance troupe that always performed on the show was called the Golddiggers. (Ah, yes, another thing that needs to be explained is that variety shows would often have a troupe of young female dancers who would fill in between acts with dance numbers.) The summer show that year was actually filmed in London, so it was called _The Golddiggers in London_. I don’t remember all the acts that appeared on the shows, but there were comedy sketches that starred Marty Feldman and Charles Nelson Reilly. Presumably Feldman was there because he wrote the sketches and Reilly was there because he was a friend of Dean Martin. He certainly never did anything else half as funny. They had some screamingly funny sketches, one of which was a variant on the old-men-discussing-how-terrible-things-once-were sketch. I often wonder why this series is never rerun, since there were great sketches on it. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-joke/328940/22 "2005-11-02T05:01:08Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > You had merriment? Back in the day, all we had was restrained mirth. You could afford to have your mirth _restrained_? Heck, we had to use ours _unstrained_. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-joke/328940/23 "2005-11-02T06:03:24Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > You could afford to have your mirth _restrained_? Heck, we had to use ours _unstrained_. Luxury. And, although it was never on the Flying Circus TV show, Monty Python did record it for at least one of their audio albums. ---
**Author:** ![MyNameIsEarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@MyNameIsEarl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyNameIsEarl)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-joke/328940/24 "2005-11-02T06:05:09Z")
The Python version of the gag also appears in _The Secret Policeman’s Ball_ (or was it _Other Ball_?); as a bonus, Rowan Atkinson plays one of the Yorkshiremen. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-joke/328940/25 "2005-11-02T17:45:45Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > You could afford to have your mirth _restrained_? Heck, we had to use ours _unstrained_. MIRTH?! In MY day we were lucky to be mildly AMUSED! ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-joke/328940/26 "2005-11-02T18:22:08Z")
> [@Rube E. Tewesday](#): > > I’m pretty sure that every kid who’s ever had to listen to his Dad has come up with some riff on this. I know I’m giving my kid material. You have _material_? Luxury! I count myself lucky if I have a few virtual photons. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-joke/328940/27 "2005-11-02T19:00:20Z")
I beleive you can find that joke in the Summarian tablets at the Britsh Museum. While your reading the texts, maybe you can check out the Gilgamesh translations. [http://www.brainfly.net/html/babreglr.htm](http://www.brainfly.net/html/babreglr.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-joke/328940/28 "2005-11-02T19:07:55Z")
> [@Harmonious Discord](#): > > I beleive you can find that joke in the Summarian tablets at the Britsh Museum. While your reading the texts, maybe you can check out the Gilgamesh translations. > > [http://www.brainfly.net/html/babreglr.htm](http://www.brainfly.net/html/babreglr.htm) You had the book of the dead?! _We_ had to get by with the leaflet of people with sniffles! ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-joke/328940/29 "2005-11-02T19:08:00Z")
Levity? I beleive that’s all that keeps the rope in the air. Ghandi. I’m not serious, but the link will get you to the Gilgamesh stories which are always a perenial favorite around here. The quote isn’t Ghandi of coarse. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-joke/328940.md?page=1)