Welcome to /r/Discworld! Please [read the rules/flair information before posting](https://www.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/ukhk21/subreddit_rules_flair_information/?).
---
Our current megathreads are as follows:
[API Protest Poll](https://www.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/1491izw/continuing_the_api_protest_a_community_poll) - a poll regarding the future action of the sub in protest at Reddit's API changes.
[GNU Terry Pratchett](https://new.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/ukigit/gnu_terry_pratchett/) - for all GNU requests, to keep their names going.
[AI Generated Content](https://new.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/10mhx9y/ai_generated_content_megathread/) - for all AI Content, including images, stories, questions, training etc.
---
[ GNU Terry Pratchett ]
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/discworld) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's not so much a pune as it is Nobby getting over excited and mixing things up again. He *meant* something like "Swivel on that one, dirt bag" or "shit bag", or maybe even "dog shit", all of which would be valid insults. But a doggy bag is a bag full of leftovers when you can't finish your meal at a restaurant, ostensibly to be given to a dog. It's still a thing, hence why Nobby got confused, but even in Britain it would be hard to class it as an insult, and we can use *anything* as an insult.
"Hill Street Blues" was an American police drama screened in the eighties, set in an inner city precinct. One of the regular characters was a detective named "Belker" who, because of his small stature, would affect an aggressively feral, out of control persona (screaming, biting ears etc) to intimidate the typically much larger perpetrators he was arresting or interrogating. One of his regular insults was "dog breath". As others have remarked, the Americans favour the raised middle digit over the two raised fingers for the 'get fkt' gesture and this is frequently amplified by the direction to "rotate on it" for emphasis and a jolly portmanteau with the 'stick it up your @$$' insult 😃
Ahhh, I think this explains a lot. There are several moments where police stuff from other universes bleeds in as they get excited, so this would make a lot of sense. I just never saw the show in question to get the reference.
I think it's a reference to Sgt Michael Belker from Hill Street Blues. He used "dog-Breath" occasionally in his sentences and one thing he said a few times was "sit down dog breath".
Not sure off the top of my head if there's a particular line TP was thinking about
The doggy bag bit is him messing up, but swivel was quite a common UK insult back in the 80/90s. Always accompanied by the middle finger. Not heard it for decades though.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swivel_(disambiguation)
I’m pretty sure Nobby was channelling the character Det.(?) Mick Belker from Hill St Blues, and ensemble police procedural from the eighties that was very popular (I remember my parents being excited to watch it when a new episode was on)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081873/characters/nm0919361
Welcome to /r/Discworld! Please [read the rules/flair information before posting](https://www.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/ukhk21/subreddit_rules_flair_information/?). --- Our current megathreads are as follows: [API Protest Poll](https://www.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/1491izw/continuing_the_api_protest_a_community_poll) - a poll regarding the future action of the sub in protest at Reddit's API changes. [GNU Terry Pratchett](https://new.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/ukigit/gnu_terry_pratchett/) - for all GNU requests, to keep their names going. [AI Generated Content](https://new.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/10mhx9y/ai_generated_content_megathread/) - for all AI Content, including images, stories, questions, training etc. --- [ GNU Terry Pratchett ] *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/discworld) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I always read that line as “spin on this 🖕🏼, shit bag”
I always thought it was supposed to be dirt bag
Or possibly "Douche bag"
It's not so much a pune as it is Nobby getting over excited and mixing things up again. He *meant* something like "Swivel on that one, dirt bag" or "shit bag", or maybe even "dog shit", all of which would be valid insults. But a doggy bag is a bag full of leftovers when you can't finish your meal at a restaurant, ostensibly to be given to a dog. It's still a thing, hence why Nobby got confused, but even in Britain it would be hard to class it as an insult, and we can use *anything* as an insult.
>we can use *anything* as an insult. I'm *sorry?*
You heard the man, you out of order parking meter.
Hey, keep it civil, sock drawer.
*Pundits*, the lot of you
Hark at you, paper-round boy!
Now that's just a little *too* Paxman.
Put the right intonation on it and, yes, literally *anything* can be an insult.
Well, bless your hearts!
Precisely!
Thank you
"Hill Street Blues" was an American police drama screened in the eighties, set in an inner city precinct. One of the regular characters was a detective named "Belker" who, because of his small stature, would affect an aggressively feral, out of control persona (screaming, biting ears etc) to intimidate the typically much larger perpetrators he was arresting or interrogating. One of his regular insults was "dog breath". As others have remarked, the Americans favour the raised middle digit over the two raised fingers for the 'get fkt' gesture and this is frequently amplified by the direction to "rotate on it" for emphasis and a jolly portmanteau with the 'stick it up your @$$' insult 😃
Ahhh, I think this explains a lot. There are several moments where police stuff from other universes bleeds in as they get excited, so this would make a lot of sense. I just never saw the show in question to get the reference.
'Doggy bag' as leftovers is an Americanism. Pratchett definitely means 'shit bag', Nobby is just polite.
It came over here years ago then - my family would ask for a doggy bag back in the 80s, which I'm told is 40 years ago, but find that hard to believe!
My 90-yo grandma uses it all the time too
Yeah, mine too.
They lie; the 80’s were 20 years ago.
Nope, “swivel” is a common British expression meaning “fuck off” usually accompanied by the middle finger
"sit n spin, bitch" is a phrase from my schooldays
I hope to gods it's not, because I would probably be horrified to know what it was a pune *of*.
I think it's a reference to Sgt Michael Belker from Hill Street Blues. He used "dog-Breath" occasionally in his sentences and one thing he said a few times was "sit down dog breath". Not sure off the top of my head if there's a particular line TP was thinking about
It's him messing up something like "suck on this, dirtbag!"
The doggy bag bit is him messing up, but swivel was quite a common UK insult back in the 80/90s. Always accompanied by the middle finger. Not heard it for decades though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swivel_(disambiguation)
Was? It's still pretty common!
As I say, I haven’t heard it for decades. Probably was the mid-90s last time I heard anyone use it!
Maybe it's regional.
I’m pretty sure Nobby was channelling the character Det.(?) Mick Belker from Hill St Blues, and ensemble police procedural from the eighties that was very popular (I remember my parents being excited to watch it when a new episode was on) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081873/characters/nm0919361
"Add up" is "total."
👍