Monday, November 26, 2007

woodworms & tallboys

"Where would you find homosexual woodworms? … In a tallboy." From Anthony Shaffer's play Sleuth (1970). Quoted out of context, but context here doesn't seem to matter. I can think of no explanation that makes this even remotely funny. I think I understand "tallboys" and "woodworms" ... it must be the "homosexual" part — how embarrassing! I don't know whether this quip's in the first (Mankiewicz) movie. The more sittable among you may inform me whether or not it's in the forthcoming Branagh.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

a tallboy is a chest of drawers on top of a chest of drawers: the "boy," "drawers," and "on top of" make it homosexual, I guess; the worms are just along for the ride (probably some public school sniggering going on)