Jimmy Riddle

Posted by Graham Cambray on February 11, 2009 at 14:12

In Reply to: Jimmy Riddle posted by ESC on February 11, 2009 at 13:13:

: : I have a vintage hand puppet (can't say how old but has heavy sign of wear patina) it has a smiling man's face with a little hat (like a clowns pork pie hat) perched on one side of his head. It is not sad or cheeky like you would expect of a clown but more like a characterization of a person. It has it's own original box with the name Jimmy Riddle written on it. Was Jimmy Riddle an old comedian? or personality? Anyone know??

: I looked on Ebay and found Jimmy Riddle items -- "African adventure" books and what looks to be a blues 45. Continuing the search...

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This phrase has an entry on this site by Gary Martin (www.phrases.org.uk meanings 211900.html). He concludes that Jimmy Riddle probably wasn't an historical character (though many names used in Cockney Rhyming sland were).

But the phrase has been around for a while, and a comic might well have appropriated it as a stage name. Indeed, there's one around now in the UK (www.onstageregister.com/ jimmy-riddle.aspx). He's been doing the rounds for 20 years, he says, so unless your hand puppet could be less than 20 years old, he's probably not your man (there's a picture on his site, though). But he may not have been the first to "borrow" the name. (GC)

• Jimmy Riddle Graham Cambray 11/February/09
  • Jimmy Riddle Victoria S Dennis 11/February/09
    • Jimmy Riddle ESC 11/February/09
      • Jimmy Riddle Graham Cambray 12/February/09