# Who said "You don't say"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 5, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726 "2011-10-05T21:28:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/1 "2011-10-05T21:28:04Z")
I have the phrase “You don’t say!” stuck in my head, done by a particular actor in a particular movie - but I have no clue what actor or what movie. I know it was a male, I want to say maybe early 40’s? I want to say receding hairline, what hair he has was dark. It was a B&W movie. He was on the phone, and all you heard was "You don’t say… you don’t SAY… " in a gossipy tone. What mostly sticks in my head was his voice - a combination of Burt Lahr’s Cowardly Lion meets Charles Nelson Reilly. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/2 "2011-10-05T21:32:42Z")
I’m not sure you’re going to get a definitive answer, because it’s a pretty old joke. “You don’t say. …You don’t say! You don’t say? _You don’t say._” _hang up_ “Who was that?” “He didn’t say.” The best answer I can find with a cursory search is Benny Hill. I’m sure it’s been done before him, though. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/3 "2011-10-05T21:32:51Z")
Are you thinking of [this guy](http://lucilleball.wikia.com/wiki/Gale_Gordon), Gale Gordon, who played Lucy’s boss in one of Lucille Ball’s shows? That’s who I always think of when I hear/think of this phrase, for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/4 "2011-10-05T21:37:03Z")
I thought it might be Jack Benny, and Gale Gordon appeared on the Jack Benny Show, and they have both used the phrase. But I found [this site](http://www.libertymagazine.com/comedians_sharpe.htm)checking on that, where it states: “Ed Wynn had previously begun a practice of butting into the commercials on his show, saying, “Well, well,” and “You don’t say?” at every claim made by the announcer.” ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/5 "2011-10-05T23:32:38Z")
and it was, indeed, Ed Wynn ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/6 "2011-10-05T23:38:38Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > I’m not sure you’re going to get a definitive answer, because it’s a pretty old joke. > > “You don’t say. …You don’t say! You don’t say? _You don’t say._” _hang up_ “Who was that?” “He didn’t say.” > > The best answer I can find with a cursory search is Benny Hill. I’m sure it’s been done before him, though. The one that comes to mind for me is [Spike Jones](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--tGSHpXkRg). ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/7 "2011-10-05T23:45:11Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > The one that comes to mind for me is [Spike Jones](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--tGSHpXkRg). With [Red Ingle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Ingle) doing the vocals. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/8 "2011-10-05T23:47:21Z")
[Jack Barry.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Don't_Say!) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/9 "2011-10-06T00:03:48Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > The one that comes to mind for me is [Spike Jones](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--tGSHpXkRg). For the record (heh), that release is from 1944. ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/10 "2011-10-06T00:04:01Z")
I remember [this](http://steveterrell.blogspot.com/SPECK.jpg) guy doing that routine in the mid-60s. (Speck Rhodes on the Porter Wagoner show.) ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/11 "2011-10-06T00:06:43Z")
It was not Spike Jones, his voice was too masculine. Definitely _not_ Benny Hill. Gale Gordon? Again, too masculine. Ed Wynn’s voice is close, but it’s not him. He looked more like Frank McHugh, maybe a tad pudgier. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/12 "2011-10-06T00:46:25Z")
Wasn’t it a favorite phrase of a British comedienne famous for his duo work? He used to sing and dance as well. After searching, I was thinking of Morecambe and Wise, and also that I was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/13 "2011-10-06T01:44:19Z")
There was an entire[quiz show](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057802/)built around the line in the 1960s. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/14 "2011-10-06T12:43:09Z")
I remember it from a muppet skit on Sesame Street. Yes, I am a child of the 70s/80s, why do you ask? ---
**Author:** ![Fourtyfold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f475e1/32.png) [@Fourtyfold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fourtyfold)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/15 "2011-10-06T12:43:12Z")
[Bert Gordon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Gordon), AKA ‘The Mad Russian’ used the phrase quite a few times IIRC, his voice would match your description. Some jokes and catchphrases would get so popular that just about anyone would be using them, not just the originator, so there would be a lot of potential actors to pick from. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/16 "2011-10-06T14:58:35Z")
The joke was done by the Three Stooges. Probably not the first, but earlier than some of the others mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/17 "2011-10-06T15:21:24Z")
I most strongly associate this routine with the 1941 adaptation of _Hellzapoppin’_. Sent with my fat fingers using Tapatalk. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/18 "2011-10-06T15:39:35Z")
Are you thinking of [Frank Nelson](http://www.youtube.com/user/FrankNelsonNet#p/a/f/2/nsKOaKG_V6M)(aka the “Yeeesss?” guy) or someone similar? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/19 "2011-10-06T16:24:44Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > The joke was done by the Three Stooges. Probably not the first, but earlier than some of the others mentioned. That must be what I’m thinking of. For some reason, I thought I remembered there being a Looney Tunes or Merrie Melodies cartoon that had this skit (Bugs Bunny is what I was thinking), but I might be conflating it with the Three Stooges bit. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726/20 "2011-10-06T17:10:30Z")
It also sounds like something Groucho Marx would _love_, but while I see a few people attributing the joke to him I can find no actual cited quotes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-you-dont-say/598726.md?page=2)