British slang question in relation to Austin Powers

[Rabrrrrrr]

This has long bothered me.

In the first movie, he says "Shall we shag now, or shall we shag later? How do you like to do it? Do you like to wash up first? You know, top and tails... whore's bath? Personally before I'm on the job, I like to give my undercarriage a bit of a how's your father!"

I just don't get how "how's your father" works in this situation, and it's bothered me ever since I saw the movie the first time.

is he being completely gross here, or misusing the phrase?

[XemaSab]

1. Might be rhyming slang

n/t

[July]

14. The rhyme being "bother," perhaps?

IIRC, that's how Cockney rhyming slang works -- the longer, obscure phrase is the link to the actual word, e.g., "trouble and strife" = "wife," or "apples and pears" = "stairs."

Someone here must know more about this.

Brits, where are you? We need your help.

[XemaSab]

15. I've got a friend who says

"Butcher's" meaning "have a look," the rhyme being "butcher's hook."

Wierd stuff.

[July]

21. I've heard that one.

If you ever see "Ground Force" on BBC, Tommy Walsh, the guy who does the paving and building, uses Cockney rhyming slang a lot.

[nickgutierrez]

2. Disclaimer: I have no clue about British slang

But it seems like he's equating cleaning with polite conversation here. "How's your father" sounds like something that might be said in polite conversation, and given the general clean=polite idea, I could see where such a far-fetched saying could eventually take root.

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. "How's your father" means to have sex, to shag, to bonk, to roger

that's why I can't figure out how it fits in this context.

[nickgutierrez]

5. Didn't know that

He probably just misused the phrase, then.

[billyskank]

8. That's my understanding too

and I'm british. :shrug:

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. I'm glad I'm not the only one confused!

And seems so odd that Mike Meyers would have made a mistake on that, since he's so good with the British slang, and seemed very dedicated to making it real.

[stlsaxman]

16. Doesn't he say: "Before I'm on the job-"

as in before he takes on a case?

makes sense to me in that context.

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. I have the whole quote in the OP

Given the context, I think it's fair to say that "job" does not his work, but the "job" of having sex.

[stlsaxman]

20. But who is he talking to? He's trying to "shag a bird", right?

Is the woman he's talking to hiring him for a job? I don't remember the scene exactly but if he's talking to a woman who is asking him to take on a case, ih makes perfect sense.

I have to watch it again.

[Rabrrrrrr]

22. No, he's saying it to his partner as they are unpacking in Las Vegas

His partner being a woman, of course. They have just arrived in the hotel room, where they are to pretend they are a husband and wife on honeymoon.

[trof]

3. shake hands with your johnson?

just guessing

[DS1]

6. answer

http://www.michaelkelly.fsnet.co.uk/qfather.htm

likes to have a quickie before he goes to work

[Tafiti]

7. That is fucking hilarious! n/t

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. That explains "how's your father", but doesn't explain the way that

Austin Powers used it in this context.

[DS1]

12. I think it's just a screwup

in the sense of dropping accuracy in order to maximize the cockney ;-)

[CanuckAmok]

11. that's funny, but, alas, not true.

Close, but not precise.

"How's your father" originates from the same idea, but the father never actually hid under the skirts. It could be used convesationally, to determine a father's schedule, and an opportunity to "get some".

Example: A gentleman caller could ask a lady being chaperoned by a peer, brother, or another relative "how's your father?", and if the lady replied that he was going to be away on business, or whatever, a discreet date could be arranged to coincide with the father's absence.

[hickman1937]

18. Rut like stoats. I love that. n/t

[ForrestGump]

13. "How's your father" is used as a sort of generic "whatever"

Or "whoosiewhatsit."

Like the Hawaiian "da kine," it can have a variety of meanings, depending on context.

Bob's your uncle...

[Joe Chi Minh]

23. Thingummybob, gizmeter.

I don't know if the French bloke who was so interested in the derivation of the phrase, would have understood "machin" or "truc" in the context, but they're French versions of "how's your father" in that vague, general sense. They're probably more direct about it.

[swag]

19. Bob's yer uncle.

I hope Guy Fawkes checks in soon.

"Buyin' a woz if yer wantin' an apple," indeed.

[no name no slogan]

24. That's also very Strine

As is rhyming slang, for that matter.

Which makes perfect sense if you consider that the two biggest groups of white folk to colonize Australia were cockneys and the Irish-- who are both known for their love of language and word play.

[auntAgonist]

25. here's what I found.

how's your father

Noun. Sexual intercourse. E.g."They are in the front room having a bit of how's your father."

http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/h.htm

??

[ghostsofgiants]

26. I always thought it meant to "shake hands" with his "undercarriage"...

So to speak.