# You are So-and-So, and I claim my five pounds **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 13, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-so-and-so-and-i-claim-my-five-pounds/259725 "2004-08-13T18:43:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [August 13, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-so-and-so-and-i-claim-my-five-pounds/259725/1 "2004-08-13T18:43:20Z")
I often see the above phrase used on usenet as a sarcastic way of saying “What you just wrote reminds me of So-and-So.” Where does this phrase come from? ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-so-and-so-and-i-claim-my-five-pounds/259725/2 "2004-08-13T18:58:27Z")
This dates from newspaper competitions that used to be run about thirty to forty years ago. The newspaper would print the picture of someone and announce that they would be walking up and down the promenade at somewhere like Brighton ( it was usually a sea-side resort ). What you had to do was memorise a phrase such as " you are Joe Smith from the Daily Mirror and I claim my £5" . When you saw the man you went up to him , and , If you recited the phrase word perfect , you got your £5. I suppose it was a way of selling more papers because people;e would buy a copy to see who it was in the picture and what the phrase was. Such innocent days! ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-so-and-so-and-i-claim-my-five-pounds/259725/3 "2004-08-13T19:11:23Z")
If it was the Daily Mail, then X = [Lobby Lud](http://www.ean.co.uk/Bygones/History/Article/Aussie_Arthur/html/lobby_lud_1938.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-so-and-so-and-i-claim-my-five-pounds/259725/4 "2004-08-13T19:29:07Z")
And for you Graham Greene fans out there, then The Daily Messanger’s X was Kolley Kibber. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-so-and-so-and-i-claim-my-five-pounds/259725/5 "2004-08-13T21:28:28Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > And for you Graham Greene fans out there, then The Daily Messanger’s X was Kolley Kibber. Ah yes …_Brighton Rock_ ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-so-and-so-and-i-claim-my-five-pounds/259725/6 "2004-08-13T23:12:12Z")
No! No! I’m not so-and-so, and I don’t have your bloody fiver! That’s him over there! 😉 ---
**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:** [August 14, 2004, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-so-and-so-and-i-claim-my-five-pounds/259725/7 "2004-08-14T00:28:05Z")
Thanks for the info!