Who are Fric and Frac?

[Acsenray]

Were they characters of some kind or are they just made up words?

[Ike_Witt]

First off, it is Click and Clack not Fric and Frack.

This is from the FAQ at the Car Talk website:

Where did the names, “Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers” come from?

Good Question! But you’ll have to ask the Witness Protection Program how they came up with those names.

Seriously, in the old days of car repair, out-of-adjustment engine valves would click and clack and make quite an annoying racket-so the connection is obvious.

[Ike_Witt]

I should point out that my previous post was going on the assumption that you were refering to Car Talk on NPR. If you weren’t than please disregard.

[don_t_ask]

Go back over half a century.

The origin is ultimately in a famous partnership of Swiss comedy ice skaters, Werner Groebli and Hans Mauch, whose stage names these were. They came to public fame in the later years of a series of skating spectaculars called Ice Follies, promoted by Eddie Shipstad and his brother Roy, which began in 1936 and ran for almost 50 years. Their association lasted so long, and they were at one time so well known, that their names have gone into the language.

[Musicat]

from http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-fri1.htm

The origin is ultimately in a famous partnership of Swiss comedy ice skaters, Werner Groebli and Hans Mauch, whose stage names these were. They came to public fame in the later years of a series of skating spectaculars called Ice Follies, promoted by Eddie Shipstad and his brother Roy, which began in 1936 and ran for almost 50 years. Their association lasted so long, and they were at one time so well known, that their names have gone into the language.

But:

Some care may be needed in using the phrase, as it is said also to be a Black American English slang term for the testicles.

Hah! A modern interpretation!

[don_t_ask]

Oh …it’s Frick and Frack.

[zamboniracer]

“Frick & Frack” was the stage name of a very popular slapstick comedy team that performed with the Ice Capades and/or Ice Follies touring ice skating shows for a number of years.

[Musicat]

Credit where credit is due, don’t ask. Unless you just made that up. :dubious:

And, adam yak, my guess is the Car Talk names were a parody of the older reference, perhaps lost on the under-70 crowd.

[don_t_ask]

@Musicat

Credit where credit is due, don’t ask. Unless you just made that up. :dubious:

And, adam yak, my guess is the Car Talk names were a parody of the older reference, perhaps lost on the under-70 crowd.

My apologies. I’m not usually so loose with credit for quotes. I did it all in the middle of playing Hold’em online and it just got away from me.

My source was World Wide Words.

[Lumpy]

I’m sure the ice-skating duo came first, but the names were also used in an episode of the Dudley Dooright cartoon. They were a pair of chihuahuas that Snidely Whiplash sold as sled dogs.

[Loopydude]

I remember when I lived in Irland, my two favorite TV stars were puppets named “Hodge and Podge”…very funny! I bet Frick and Frack were their inspiration.