|
Upper Class Twit Of The Year
"Upper Class Twit of the Year" is a comedy sketch that was seen on the 1970 ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' episode "The Naked Ant" (series 1, episode 12), and also in a modified format as the finale of the movie ''And Now for Something Completely Different''. It is notable for its satire on dimwitted members of the English upper class. Its title is a reference to the Horse of the Year Show, because equestrianism is often regarded as an upper-class pursuit in the UK. Scenario To a horserace-style commentary by John Cleese, we view an obstacle-course race among five stereotypical, upper-class twits, to determine the 127th Annual Upper-Class Twit of the Year. The competitors are: * Vivian Smith-Smythe-Smith (portrayed by Eric Idle in ''MPFC'' and John Cleese in ''ANFSCD'') ** Has an O-level in chemo-hygiene (''MPFC'' only) ** Can count up to 4 (''ANFSCD'' only) ** Is in the Grenadier Guards (''ANFSCD'' only) * Simon Zinc-Trumpet-Harris (portrayed by Terry Jones in ''MPFC'' and Er ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sketch Comedy
Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and is used widely in variety shows, comedy talk shows, and some sitcoms and children's television series. The sketches may be improvised live by the performers, developed through improvisation before public performance, or scripted and rehearsed in advance like a play. Sketch comedians routinely differentiate their work from a "skit", maintaining that a skit is a (single) dramatized joke (or "bit") while a sketch is a comedic exploration of a concept, character, or situation. definition 3b, Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved 5/4/2019 History Sketch comedy has its origins in |
Waste Container
A waste container, also known as a dustbin, garbage can, and trash can is a type of container that is usually made out of metal or plastic. The words "rubbish", "basket" and "bin" are more common in British English usage; "trash" and "can" are more common in American English usage. "Garbage" may refer to food waste specifically (when distinguished from "trash") or to municipal solid waste in general. Designs A pedal bin is a container with a lid operated by a foot pedal. Lillian Moller Gilbreth, an industrial engineer and efficiency expert, invented the pedal bin in the 1920s for the disposal of kitchen waste. The foot pedal enables the user to open the lid without touching it with their hands. In the 2010s, some bins have begun to include automated mechanisms such as a lid with infrared detection on the top of the can powered by batteries to open it rather than a foot pedal, freeing the user from touching the bin in any way. This helps prevent the bin lids becoming clogg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sloane Ranger
In the United Kingdom, a Sloane Ranger, or simply a Sloane, is a stereotypical upper-middle or upper-class person, typically although not necessarily a young one, who embodies a very particular upbringing and outlook. The Sloane Ranger style is a uniform, effortless, and unambitious although sophisticated one. The television character Tim Nice-But-Dim, an Old Ardinian, is thought by some to be a good example of a Sloane Ranger. The term is a pun based on references to Sloane Square, a location in Chelsea, London, famed for the wealth of its residents and frequenters, and the television character ''The Lone Ranger''. Social stratum The term dates from 1975 when aspiring writer Peter York had conversations with Ann Barr (then features editor of UK magazine '' Harpers & Queen'') about what had become a recognisable ''tribe'' of young people living in Chelsea and parts of Kensington. This led to an article for the magazine, defining the characteristics of this slice of English ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Borehamwood
Borehamwood (, historically also Boreham Wood) is a town in southern Hertfordshire, England, from Charing Cross. Borehamwood has a population of 31,074, and is within the London commuter belt. The town's film and TV studios are commonly known as Elstree Studios. History One of the earliest mentions of Bosci de Boreham (Wood of Boreham), is in 1188: :"In 1188 Pope Clement granted to the kitchen of the monastery the whole land of Elstree. He also gave to the Abbey the wood of Boreham for the feeding of the swine." In 1776, the House of Lords granted: :"An Act for dividing and closing the Common or Waste Ground, called Boreham Wood Common, in the Parish of Elstree otherwise Idletree, in the County of Hertford." Borehamwood was historically part of the parish of Elstree. A separate ecclesiastical parish of "All Saints, Boreham Wood" was created on 26 February 1909, covering the part of Elstree parish east of the Midland Railway. Despite this change to the ecclesiastical boundari ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth, Putney, Barn Elms and the London Wetland Centre in Barnes. on the far side of the river. First recorded by name in 691, Fulham was a manor and ancient parish which originally included Hammersmith. Between 1900 and 1965, it was the Metropolitan Borough of Fulham, before its merger with the Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith created the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (known as the London Borough of Hammersmith from 1965 to 1979). The district is split between the western and south-western postal areas. Fulham has a history of industry and enterprise dating back to the 15th century, with pottery, tapestry-weaving, paper-making and brewing in the 17th and 18th centuries in present-day Fulham High Street, and later involvement in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hurlingham Park
Hurlingham Park is a park and multi-use sports ground in Fulham, London, England. It is currently used mostly for rugby matches, football matches and athletics events and is the home of Hammersmith and Fulham Rugby Football Club. The park served as the location for ''Monty Python'''s Upper Class Twit of the Year sketch. It had a seated capacity of around 2,500 people, until the stands were demolished in 2002. History The opening meeting of the track was on 11 September 1954, the same date that the area became a public park. The running track was originally made of cinder. The field on which the track is situated was originally a polo ground and was compulsorily purchased by the Metropolitan Borough of Fulham from the Hurlingham Club after the Second World War. A grandstand was built in 1936 to replace an earlier version but it was allowed to become run down in the 1990s and, in spite of strong local opposition, was demolished in 2002. It had a capacity of approximately 2,50 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kensington
Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensington Gardens, containing the Albert Memorial, the Serpentine Gallery and John Hanning Speke, Speke's monument. South Kensington and Gloucester Road, London, Gloucester Road are home to Imperial College London, the Royal College of Music, the Royal Albert Hall, Natural History Museum, London, Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Science Museum, London, Science Museum. The area is also home to many embassies and consulates. Name The Manorialism, manor of ''Chenesitone'' is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, which in the Old English language, Anglo-Saxon language means "Chenesi's List of generic forms in place names in Ireland and the United Kingdom, ton" (homestead/settlement). One early spelling is ''Kesyngton ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Debutante
A debutante, also spelled débutante, ( ; from french: débutante , "female beginner") or deb is a young woman of aristocratic or upper-class family background who has reached maturity and, as a new adult, is presented to society at a formal "debut" ( , ; french: début, links=no ) or possibly debutante ball. Originally, the term meant that the woman was old enough to be married, and part of the purpose of her coming out was to display her to eligible bachelors and their families, with a view to marriage within a select circle. Austria Vienna, Austria, still maintains many of the institutions that made up the social, courtly life of the Habsburg Empire. One of those is the most active formal ball season in the world. From 1 January to 1 March, no less than 28 formal balls, with a huge variety of hosts, are held in Vienna. Many are for specific nationalities, like the Russian Ball or the Serbian Saint Sava ball; social groups like the Hunter's Ball or Verein Grünes Kreuz b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beggar
Begging (also panhandling) is the practice of imploring others to grant a favor, often a gift of money, with little or no expectation of reciprocation. A person doing such is called a beggar or panhandler. Beggars may operate in public places such as transport routes, urban parks, and markets. Besides money, they may also ask for food, drinks, cigarettes or other small items. Internet begging is the modern practice of asking people to give money to others via the Internet, rather than in person. Internet begging may encompass requests for help meeting basic needs such as medical care and shelter, as well as requests for people to pay for vacations, school trips, and other things that the beggar wants but cannot comfortably afford. Beggars differ from religious mendicants in that some mendicants do not ask for money. Their subsistence is reciprocated by providing society with various forms of religious service, moral education, and preservation of culture. History Beggars ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Refusals And Runouts
Refusal or runout in horse riding is the failure of a horse to jump a fence to which it is presented. This includes any stop in forward motion. A runout occurs when the horse quickly moves sideways to go around the fence instead of jumping it, without stopping forward motion. Problems Refusals and runouts are counted against riders in jumping competitions. In show jumping and the stadium phase of eventing, a refusal is worth four penalty points. In the cross-country phase of eventing, a refusal counts as 20 penalty points. Refusals also have the potential to unseat the rider, which may result in rider injury. Refusals also present the possibility that the horse may crash into the obstacle. In extreme cases, however, it may be best for a horse to refuse rather than jump a fence which he cannot clear, as he might land on the fence, fall on landing, or flip over. Reasons There are several reasons for refusals, and therefore a rider must try to identify the problem before reprimanding ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey on the first Saturday of June each year, over a distance of one mile, four furlongs and 6 yards (2,420 metres). It was first run in 1780. It is Britain's richest flat horse race, and the most prestigious of the five Classics. It is sometimes referred to as the "Blue Riband" of the turf. The race serves as the middle leg of the historically significant Triple Crown of British horse racing, preceded by the 2000 Guineas and followed by the St Leger, although the feat of winning all three is rarely attempted in the modern era due to changing priorities in racing and breeding, and the demands it places on horses. The name "Derby" (deriving from the sponsorship of the Earl of Derby) has been borrowed many times, notably by the Kentucky D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ‘prime minister’, ‘premier’, ‘chief minister’, ‘chancellor’ or other title. In Commonwealth realm jurisdictions which use the Westminster system of government, ministers are usually required to be members of one of the houses of Parliament or legislature, and are usually from the political party that controls a majority in the lower house of the legislature. In other jurisdictions—such as Belgium, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Slovenia, and Nigeria—the holder of a cabinet-level post or other government official is not permitted to be a member of the legislature. Depending on the administrative arrangements in each jurisdiction, ministers are usually heads of a government department and members of the government's ministry, cabinet and p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
