Actress and bishop
Posted by R. Berg on April 01, 2001
In Reply to: Saying posted by Sandal on April 01, 2001
: The phrase is " said the actress to the bishop", who was the actress?, who was the bishop?, and what is the link?.
From Eric Partridge, Dictionary of Catch Phrases: American and British, from the Sixteenth Century to the Present Day:
"as the actress said to the bishop"--and vice versa. An innuendo scabrously added to an entirely innocent remark, as in 'It's too stiff for me to manage it--as the actress said to the bishop' or, conversely, 'I can't see what I'm doing--as the bishop said to the actress'. Certainly in RAF use c. 1944-7, but probably going back to to Edwardian days; only very slightly obsolete by 1975, it is likely to outlive most of us."
The actress and the bishop are imaginary characters, not historical figures.
This must be a British expression; I've never heard it in the U.S.
- Actress and bishop ESC 04/01/01