We had a conversation Saturday night that sounded exactly like the classic Abbott & Costello routine, “Who’s On First” (click here if you’re unfamiliar). To enhance the confusing story, I’ve included images of this morning’s foggy sunrise over the Mediterranean, as viewed from our terrace. (Click any image to make it larger… although no clearer.)
 |
Our friend Tynan (originally from Chesterfield, England, where they speak their own version of a Derbyshire accent… which I’m told is English) has a hard time remembering names, so he uses little tricks to aid his memory.
To remember our names, Mitchell and Jerry, he initially thought of us as Mitch and Ben. We assumed that meant he was relating our names to the ice cream makers, Ben & Jerry. But we couldn’t understand how thinking of us as Mitch & Ben could be any help in remembering that our names are Mitch and Jerry.
 |
Saturday night, Tynan told us that “Ben & Jerry” was only part of the memory aid. He explained that the “Mitch & Ben” connection was actually a British comedy show. Being unfamiliar with the show I immediately used Google to look it up. I couldn’t find anything.
Tynan said, “Well, the name of the show isn’t Mitch and Ben. It’s Mitch and someone else I can’t remember.”*
‘OK, then,’ I thought.
“OK, then,” I said.
Moving on, Tynan told Judy that her name was easy for him to remember. He told her, “I just think of ‘Judy in the Sky with Diamonds.’ “
I said, “That would be ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.’ But there was a song called “Judy in Disguise.”
“If you’re going to butt into a private conversation only to correct me, then you should mind your business,” Tynan muttered.
He continued, “Besides, I really think of Judy’s streetwhut to remember Judy’s name.”
 |
None of us, including Elena (his wife) had any idea what Tynan was talking about.
“Judy’s street what?” we all asked.
“Judy Street whut!” he enunciated (or maybe he said ‘wop’).
“What’s the word after Judy Street?” asked San Geraldo.
“Correct,” said Tynan.
“Is it wop or what,” asked San Geraldo.
“Judy Street Whut,” Tynan repeated more slowly (or did he say ‘wop’?).
We were all laughing at this point.
Elena said, “What?!?”
“Judy Street!” said Tynan in disgust with us all.
“But after that. After Judy Street,” I said.
“WHUT!” he grunted (or ‘wop’; we still weren’t sure).
So, back to Google I went.
“Oh,” I exclaimed when I found it, “Judy Street is a singer and ‘What’ was her biggest hit.
Even better…” I laughed, “her website is Judystreetwhat.com!”
“That’s precisely whut I’ve been sayin’!” muttered Tynan.
 |
| CLEAR? |
If you’re interested in “Judy Street What,” 1968, click here for the video.
I prefer “Judy in Disquise”:
*Sunday, Tynan told me the name of the show was “Mitch and Webb.” I googled that and finally found the comedy team, “Mitchell and Webb.”
