- A26 MCS
- License plate number of Jim Hacker's car (a Jaguar) in
the YPM episode The Grand Design.
-
- Aerospace
Systems Contract
- Contract with the United States that is mentioned in the
YM episode Open Government. The success of this
contract is very important to the PM, but then Jim Hacker
rocks the Anglo-American boat. Also known as the
Anglo-American Defence Trade Agreement.
-
- Anglo-American
Defence Trade Agreement
- See Aerospace
Systems Contract.
-
- Atomic
Power Station Programme
- Mentioned by Sir Humphrey in the YM episode The
Skeleton in the Cupboard as an example of government
money wasted.
-
- Axis Powers
- Mentioned by Jim Hacker in the YM episode The
Middle-Class Rip-Off. In this episode he points out
that the Royal Opera House is not preserving Britain's
cultural heritage, but the cultural heritage of the Axis
Powers (Italy and Germany), by staging operas by Mozart,
Wagner, Pucinni and Verdi. The term stems from World War
II, where Japan was also included into the Axis
Powers.
-
- Ayatollah
- Islamic leader. Sir Humphrey mentions that Alexander Jameson is sort of
an ayatollah in the YPM episode A Conflict of Interest.
- Band of the Royal Marines
- Music band mentioned in the YPM episode A Diplomatic Incident.
They have to play all the national anthems of the foreign leaders that
arrive for the former PM's funeral.
-
- BBC
- Abbreviation for British
Broadcasting Corporation.
-
- BCC
- Abbreviation for British
Chemical Corporation.
-
- Belle de Jour
- French movie from 1967 starring Catherine Deneuve that
Annie Hacker wanted to see during her and her husband's
stay in Kingsbury Down. Their bodyguards however did not
like a foreign movie and so they all went to see
Moonraker. Referred to in the YM episode The Death
List.
-
- Bells
- Whisky brand. In the YM episode The Moral Dimension
the brands of all sorts of spirits are used as a secret
code to get to the security communications room. That
room is filled with booze to surpass the Islamic law
against drinking at the Qumrani reception.
-
- Benefactor's Dinner
- See High Table Dinner.
-
- Benjy
- Name of the dog that plays a very prominent role in the YPM episode One
of Us. Benjy got lost on the army's artillery shell testing range at
Salisbury Plain. He had to be rescued by a massive army operation,
authorized by Jim Hacker.
-
- BES
- Abbreviation for British
Electronic Systems Ltd., mentioned in the YM episode The
Moral Dimension.
-
- Big Ben
- London's most well known (tourist) site: the bell of the House of
Commons. Mentioned in the YPM episode The Patron of the Arts.
-
- Blue Streak
- Rocket first developed as a military ballistic missile by HS Dynamics
with engines by Rolls Royce for nuclear weapon delivery, based on the US
Atlas missile. Military development was abandoned and later the
missile was offered to the European Space Research Organisation as the
first stage of a satellite launching system, but was subsequently
abandoned in this role. Huge
development costs financed by the British government. Sir
Humphrey mentions Blue Streak in the YM episode The
Skeleton in the Cupboard as an example of government
money wasted.
-
- BMA
- Abbreviation mentioned in the YPM episode The Smoke
Screen. It stands for British Medical Association.
-
- Bonaparte
- Term used by Jim Hacker in a speech against the EEC in
the YM episode Party Games. Refers to Napoleon
Bonaparte, an absolute ruler in France during the late
18th century and beginning of the 19th century.
-
- BP
- Abbreviation for British
Petroleum, mentioned in the YM episode The Moral
Dimension and Party Games, and the YPM
episode A Real Partnership.
-
- Breeding License
- Mentioned by Jim Hacker in the YPM episode The National Education
Service. Sir Humphrey argues that parents are the worst people to
bring up children. This should be left in the hands of the professionals:
the teachers. Then Jim sarcastically proposes to have written and
practical exams for getting children. If parents pass they get a breeding
license.
-
- Britain's
National Heritage
- Term to describe all British cultural and natural things
that are considered to be important in preserving for
future generations.
-
- British Sausage
- "New" name for the British sausage that Sir
Humphrey, Jim Hacker and Maurice (EEC Commissioner for
Agriculture) agree upon in the YM episode Party Games.
At first the EEC wanted it renamed to Emulsified High-Fat
Offal Tube.
-
- British Theatre Awards
- Annual awards for the British Theatre. Jim Hacker's attendance to the
dinner presenting the British Theatre Awards is the main topic in the YPM
episode The Patron of the Arts.
-
- Brown Envelope Job
- Action that is performed very secretively. It refers to
slush money that is usually delivered in brown envelopes.
Mentioned in the YM episode The Challenge
regarding the plan of Dr. Cartwright on pre-set failure
standards. In the YM episode The Moral Dimension
brown envelopes are also supposedly used with the bribery
for the British Electronic Systems contract with Qumran.
-
- BTG
- Abbreviation for the British Tobacco Group, which is
mentioned in the YPM episode The Smoke Screen.
- Capital Punishment
- Other word for the death penalty.
-
- Catch-22
- Situation where there is no way to win. Jim Hacker views
his dependability on Sir Humphrey for information as a
Catch-22 situation. He either doesn't have all the facts
or he is swamped with too much information so he can't
find the crucial facts. This phrase is used in the YM
episode The Right to Know. Sir Humphrey uses the
phrase Catch-22 subparagraph A in the YM episode Equal
Opportunities, regarding the fact that it is
difficult to find a married woman with three children
that want to devote her life to the Civil Service.
-
- CB
- Honour abbreviation mentioned in the YPM episode A
Real Partnership.
-
- CBE
- Can't Be Everywhere. Abbreviation that Bernard Woolley uses in the YM episode The Economy Drive.
It is also an honour abbreviation, mentioned in the YM
episode The Greasy Pole.
-
- CBI
- Abbreviation mentioned in the YM episode The Official
Visit. It stands for Confederation of British
Industry and is an organisation of employers.
-
- CGSM
- Civil Service code for Consignment of Geriatric Shoe
Manufacturers, which means that something is total
nonsense. Bernard Woolley suggest Jim Hacker to CGSM some
document in the YM episode Equal Opportunities.
Jim Hacker however labels it with his own code (round
objects)
-
- CH
- Honour abbreviation. Stands for Companion of Honour.
Mentioned by Bernard Woolley in the YM episode Doing
the Honours.
-
- Charge of
the Light Brigade
- Poem written by Lord Tennyson in 1854. It is referred to
in the YM episode A Question of Loyalty with
regards to being one of the five standard excuses
(in this case one individual has made a cock-up). Part of
the poem is also mentioned in an adapted version by Joe
Morgan in the YM episode Jobs for the Boys. The
full poem is presented with this link.
-
- Château
Baron Philippe Rothschild 1961
- Bottle of wine from a very famous French winery. The year
1961 is supposed to be an excellent wine year. One of Jim
Hacker's bodyguards orders this bottle of wine while on
protective duty. This happens in the YM episode The
Death List.
-
- Château
Lafite 1945
- Famous winery and wineyear mentioned in the YPM episode The
Grand Design.
-
- CIA
- Abbreviation for Central Intelligence Agency. See CIA.
-
- City, The
- Referring to the financial heart of Britain (London). Mentioned in the
YPM episode A Conflict of Interest.
-
- CMG
- Honour of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that stands
for Commander of the order of St. Michael and St. George.
In the civil service however it is usually nicknamed as
Call Me God. See also KCMG and GCMG.
-
- C of E
- Abbreviation used by Dr. Cartwright in the YM episode The
Challenge. It stands for Church of England. In that
episode Jim Hacker asks Dr. Cartwright what he is (within
the DAA he means) but Dr. Cartwright doesn't understand
and replies "C of E".
-
- Cocotte
- Name of the puppy the French President planned to give to the Queen in
the YPM episode A Diplomatic Incident. Because of the British
quarantine laws the Queen has to refuse the gift.
-
- Corgy's
- Dogs of the Queen mentioned in the YPM episode A Diplomatic Incident.
-
- Commissar
- Terms used by Jim Hacker in a speech against the EEC in
the YM episode Party Games. He uses this term
instead of Commissioner to link their behaviour to that
of the Soviet Politburo.
-
- Common Market
- Refers to the goal of the European Economic Community to
have a European trade zone without any restrictions.
-
- Comprehensive
Schools
- School system in the United Kingdom. The failure of
comprehensive schools was excused using one of the five standard excuses
mentioned in the YM episode A Question of Loyalty.
Also mentioned by Sir Humphrey in the YM episode The
Skeleton in the Cupboard as an example of government
money wasted. The reason why comprehensive schools were
introduced (because the National Union of Teachers wanted
it) is discussed in the YM episode The Bed of Nails.
In the YPM episode The Grand Design Jim Hacker
wants to give young people a comprehensive education in
the army to make up for their Comprehensive Education. Also mentioned in
the YPM episode The National Education Service.
-
- Concorde
- Passenger plane that can fly at two times the speed of
sound developed by the French and British. The huge costs
of development were excused by using one of the five standard excuses
mentioned in the YM episode A Question of Loyalty.
Also mentioned by Sir Humphrey in the YM episode The
Skeleton in the Cupboard with regards to wasted
government money. In the YPM episode A Diplomatic Incident Sir
Humphrey remarks that the French got their way with Concorde, as it is
spelled the French way: with an 'e' at the end.
-
- Coronation Vows
- Vows the King or Queen of England has to take. Mentioned in the YPM
episode The Bishops Gambit.
-
- CPRE
- Abbreviation mentioned in the YM episode The Right to
Know. Stands for Council for the Protection of Rural
England.
-
- Cruise
- Type of nuclear missile mentioned in the YPM episode The
Grand Design.
- DAA
- Abbreviation for the Department for Administrative
Affairs. Jim Hacker "leads" this department as
minister in the YM episodes. See Department
for Administrative Affairs.
-
- Daimler
- Luxurious and expensive car brand. The Mayor of Thames
Marsh owns two Daimlers we learn in the YM episode The
Challenge.
-
- Death List
- List of people up for assassination. Jim Hacker's name is
on a death list of the International Freedom Army in the
YM episode The Death List.
-
- Degrees
- Classification to indicated how outstanding or not
someone graduated from University. There are first class,
upper/lower seconds and third degrees. A second degree at
Oxford counts as an upper second. Comparable with cum
laude (first class) and summa cum laude (second) that are
rewarded in other countries.
-
- DES
- Abbreviation that stands for Department of Education and
Science.
-
- DHSS
- Abbreviation for the Department of Health and Social
Security.
-
- Dioxin
- Chemical that caused the chemical disaster in Seveso,
Italy in 1976. Mentioned in the YM episode The Greasy
Pole.
-
- Disestablishmentarianism
- Term used in the YPM episode The Bishops Gambit. It refers to the
believe that Church and state should be seperated and thus the Queen of
England should not be head of the Church of England. Dr. Paul Harvey is
said to favour this view.
-
- DSO
- Military honour mentioned in the YPM episode The
Grand Design. It stands for Distinguished Service
Order. It is only for military personnel and is much
respected. You can get a DSO with bar, which is even
better.
- EEC
- Abbreviation for European Economic Community, nowadays
called the European Community (EC) or European Union
(EU).
-
- Emulsified
High-Fat Offal Tube
- The proposed new name for the British sausage under the
EEC's Eurosausage directive. The name change is proposed
because the average British sausage contains 32% fat, 6%
rind, 20% water, 5% seasoning/preservatives/colouring,
and only 26% meat. Jim Hacker resents this and makes
himself popular by resisting to the change in the YM
episode Party Games. He uses his subsequent
popularity to become PM.
-
- Engima Variations
- Composition by the British composer Edward Elgar. When
discussing the opening music for his first television
appearance as PM, Jim Hacker wants a British composer.
The television producer suggests Elgar and Jim Hacker
agrees. However he does not want Land of Hope and Glory.
Bernard immediately suggest the Enigma Variations.
-
- Environmental
Health Officer
- Official term for rat-catcher, as mentioned by Dr.
Cartwright in the YM episode The Skeleton in the
Cupboard.
-
- ET
- Term used by the Chief Scientific Advisor in YPM episode The
Grand Design. He proposes to use the money saved by
cancelling Trident on ET. Jim Hacker thinks he means
extra terrestials, but the Chief Scientific Advisor is
talking about Emergent Technologies (laser-guided
missiles, smart bombs, etc.).
-
- European Ideal
- The ideal of all European countries becoming one
integrated and unified territory.
-
- Eurosausage
- A directive from the EEC to standardise the naming of
sausages, mentioned in the YM episode Party Games.
This directive would mean the British sausage has to be
renamed to the Emulsified High-Fat Offal Tube. Jim Hacker
uses this directive to make himself popular and become PM
of Great Britain.
- FA Cup
- Prestigious British football Cup. In the YM episode The
Middle-Class Rip-Off we learn that Jim Hacker's
local football club Aston Wanderers have won the FA Cup
in the past. But now they are not doing so well anymore.
In fact, the club is nearly bankrupt.
-
- Father of the
Nation
- Term used in the YPM episode The Ministerial
Broadcast. The television producer that help Jim
Hacker prepare for his first TV appearance as PM advises
him not to attack the opposition in his speech. Instead
he should appear to be the Father of the Nation.
-
- FCO
- Abbreviation for Foreign and Commonwealth Office, usually
called the Foreign Office.
-
- FDA
- Abbreviation for Food
and Drug Administration.
-
- Fitzwalter Dinner
- Dinner at Baillie College to honour a 16th century
benefactor of the College. Jim Hacker went to this dinner
with Sir Humphrey and Bernard Woolley in the YM episode Doing
the Honours.
-
- Floods of 1967
- Floods that are used as an excuse for the loss of
embarrassing files in the Civil Service. Sir Humphrey
calls 1967 a marvelous winter in the YM episode The
Skeleton in the Cupboard. Also see Statement
Accompanying Embarrassing Files.
-
- Flying Dutchman,
The
- Opera by Richard Wagner (original title: Der fliegende
Holländer). In the YM episode The Middle-Class
Rip-Off Sir Humphrey goes to this opera in the Royal
Opera House. Jim Hacker remarks when he learns about this
that this is another one of Britain's European partners.
-
- Friedmanite
- Someone who is a supporter of the economic theories of
Friedman, that promote the government staying out of
economic development. Mentioned in the YM episode The
Whisky Priest.
-
- FT
- Abbreviation for Financial Times, a British financial
newspaper.
- GCMG
- Honour of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that stands
for Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and
St. George. In the civil service however it is usually
nicknamed as God Calls Me God. See also CMG
and KCMG.
-
- Grade II
Listed Building
- Building that is considered to be part of Britain's
cultural heritage and is thus protected from
reconstruction or demolition. If this however is planned
there has to be a planning inquiry by the Department of
the Environment to approve the plans. This happens in the
YM episode The Middle-Class Rip-Off where Jim
Hacker wants to sell off the Corn Exchange Art Gallery
and use the money to save the local football club Aston
Wanderers from bankruptcy.
-
- Graduate Allowance
- Special allowance for Civil Servants that have a
University degree. The beauty of this allowance is that
it doesn't show up in the basic salary calculations of
civil servants. And since most of the senior civil
servants work have a degree, these will get this
allowance. Mentioned in the YPM episode A Real
Partnership.
-
- Grammar School
- School form in Britain that sort of compares with the
American High School.
-
- Grimsby
- Grimsby is a port. It is a shipping town on the East
coast of England near Lincoln. Referred to in the YM
episode Equal Opportunities.
- Haig
- Whisky brand. In the YM episode The Moral Dimension
the brands of all sorts of spirits are used as a secret
code to get to the security communications room. That
room is filled with booze to surpass the Islamic law
against drinking at the Qumrani reception. Bernard lets
Jim Hacker know that there is a message from Mr. Haig in
the communications room. Jim Hacker at first thinks it is
General Haig, a US general and politician.
-
- High Table Dinner
- Dinner at Oxford to remember a historic benefactor. Also
known as a Benefactor's dinner.
-
- HMS Northwood
- A British Defence establishment that is central in launching Britain's
nuclear missiles. The PM sends a signal to HMS Northwood
which sends back an authentication message. Once this is
verified the nuclear missiles can be launched from Polaris
submarines . Mentioned in the YPM episode The
Grand Design.
-
- Horizontal Jogging
- Alternative term Sir Humphrey uses in the YM episode Party
Games to describe sexual affairs.
-
- HRRC
- Abbreviation that stands for Human Resource Rich Country.
In the YM episode The Official Visit Sir
Humphrey explained that in the past they were called
Underdeveloped Countries. But because this term was
viewed as offensive they were then called Developing
Countries, and later as LDC's (Less Developed Countries).
In the future they will be called HRRC's, which means
that they are grossly overpopulated and are begging for
money.
- IBM
- Abbreviation for International
Business Machines.
-
- Index-linked
Pension
- Pension of civil servants that is linked to grow with the
inflation, so the value remains the same in the future.
Index-linked pensions are very valuable. In the YPM
episode A Real Partnership we learn that an
index-linked pension of a Permanent Secretary is valued
at £650,000.
-
- Islamic Law
- Law that stems from the Islam which forbids the drinking
of alcoholic beverages. In the YM episode The Moral
Dimension Jim Hacker and his delegation visiting
Qumran breaks this law by setting up a security
communications room filled with booze. Later on in the
episode Sir Humphrey uses this against Jim Hacker.
-
- ITN
- Abbreviation for Independent
Television News.
-
- ITV
- Abbreviation for Independent
Television.
- Janet and John Bit
- The one page summary of a proposal for the Cabinet. The
Janet and John Bit translates the proposal in ordinary
terms (hence Janet and John). Mentioned by Sir Frank in
the YPM episode A Real Partnership regarding the
Civil Service pay claim.
-
- JB
- Unofficial honour, mentioned by Bernard Woolley in the YM
episode Doing the Honours. It stands for Jailed
by the British, and refers to political figures from the
former colonies that have been imprisoned. Examples are
Gandhi, Makarios, Nehru, Kenyatta, Ben Gurion, and
Mugabe.
- KBE
- Honour abbreviation mentioned in the YM episode The
Official Visit. It stands for Knighthood of the Most
Honourable Order of the British Empire. Sir Humphrey is
in line for receiving this honour.
-
- KCB
- Honour abbreviation. Stands for Knight Commander of the
Most Noble Order of the Bath.
-
- KCMG
- Honour of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that stands
for Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St.
George. In the Civil Service however it is usually
nicknamed as Kindly Call Me God. See also CMG
and GCMG.
-
- KGB
- Abbreviation for the Soviet Committee for State Security.
See KGB.
-
- Keynesian
- Someone who is a supporter of Keynes economic theories,
that promote government intervention to stimulate the
economy. Referred to in the YM episode The Whisky
Priest.
-
- Kibbutz
- Jewish community. Lucy Hacker wants to spend some time in
a kibbutz, as mentioned in the YPM episode A Victory
for Democracy. Jim Hacker thinks she already spends
enough time in a kibbutz, namely the University of
Sussex.
-
- Killjoy, Mr.
- Term for someone who is doing unpopular things. Mentioned
by Bernard Woolley in the YM episode Party Games.
He points out that the Chancellor of the Exchequer is Mr.
Killjoy as he raises the taxes on beer and cigarettes.
- Land of Hope and
Glory
- Patriotic composition by the British composer Edward
Elgar. Mentioned by Jim Hacker in the YPM episode The
Ministerial Broadcast. He wants opening music by
Elgar, but not Land of Hope and Glory.
-
- Lassie Come Home
- US movie from 1943 featuring the famous dog Lassie. Jim Hacker mentions
this movie in YPM episode One of Us when he comments on the news
item on the lost dog Benjy on Salisbury Plain.
-
- LDC
- Abbreviation that stands for Less Developed Country. In
the YM episode The Official Visit Sir Humphrey
explained that in the past they were called
Underdeveloped Countries. But because this term was
viewed as offensive they were then called Developing
Countries, and later as LDC's. In the future they will be
called HRRC's (Human Resource Rich Countries), which
means that they are grossly overpopulated and are begging
for money.
-
- Librium
- Tranquilizer that Annie Hacker needed desperately after
Jim Hacker's reelection as MP in the YM episode Open
Government.
-
- Liquid Lunch
- Term mentioned in the YPM episode The Ministerial
Broadcast when Jim Hacker has a practice session for
his first broadcast as PM. At one point he leans so far
back while speaking that the producer warns him this will
look like he has a liquid lunch (meaning he is drunk).
-
- Listed Building
- Building that is considered a monument and therefore has a special
protected status. In the YM episode The Middle-Class
Rip-Off Jim Hacker tries to knock down a listed building to save his
local football club. The arts establishment immediately goes into action
to prevent this, and with the help from Sir Humphrey they succeed. In the
YPM episode The Patron of the Arts Jim threatens to sell off the
National Theatre (which is a listed building) to prevent the arts
establishment from accusing him of barbarism.
-
- London Allowance
- Special allowance for Civil Servants that work in London.
The beauty of this allowance is that it doesn't show up
in the basic salary calculations of civil servants. And
since most of the government civil servants work in
London, most will get this allowance. Mentioned in the
YPM episode A Real Partnership.
-
- LSE
- Abbreviation for London
School of Economics, the school were Jim Hacker
graduated.
- M1
- Motorway 1 between London and Leeds.
-
- M4
- Motorway 4 between London and Bristol.
-
- M11
- Motorway 11 between London and Cambridge.
-
- M40
- Motorway 40 between London and Birmingham.
-
- Marxist
- People that follow the ideal of Karl Marx. Mentioned in
the YM episode The Official Visit.
-
- MBE
- Honour abbreviation. Stands for Member of the Most
Honourable Order of the British Empire.
-
- MCC
- Abbreviation mentioned in the YPM episode The Bishops Gambit. It
probably stands for Marylebone Cricket Club headquartered at the Lord's
cricket grounds in London, as it has to do with one of
the interests of the Dean of Baillie College.
-
- Mercedes
- High-quality and expensive German car used a lot by
businessmen and within diplomatic circles. Jim Hacker
mentions Mercedes in the YM episode The Devil You
Know, referring to the luxury enjoyed by the EEC
bureaucracy in Brussels.
-
- Metadioxin
- Chemical that is an inert compound of dioxin. Its
production by the British Chemical Corporation is the
main subject of the YM episode The Greasy Pole.
-
- MI5
- See MI5 in the
Institutions and Organisations Database.
-
- MI6
- See MI6 in the
Institutions and Organisations Database.
-
- MOD
- Abbreviation mentioned in the YPM episode The
Ministerial Broadcast. It stands for Ministry of
Defence.
-
- Modernist
- Term mentioned in the YPM episode The Bishops Gambit. It is the
Church of England codeword for non-believer.
-
- Moonraker
- Movie about the adventures of James Bond. Jim and Annie
Hacker, accompanied by their bodyguards, went to see this
movie instead of Belle du Jour, because the
bodyguards did not want to see a foreign film. This
happened in the YM episode The Death List.
-
- MP
- Member of Parliament. All people elected to the House of
Parliament can put MP behind their name.
-
- Mumbo Jumbo
- Nickname of an airplane that belonged to nine different
African airlines during one month, and was repainted
specially for all of them. Mentioned in the YM episode The
Official Visit.
- Napoleon
- Cognac brand. In the YM episode The Moral Dimension
the brands of all sorts of spirits are used as a secret
code to get to the security communications room. That
room is filled with booze to surpass the Islamic law
against drinking at the Qumrani reception. Jim Hacker
lets Sir Humphrey know that there is a message in the
communications room, from Napoleon.
-
- Napoleon Prize
- Prestigious NATO award that is given every 5 years to the
statesman that has done the most for European unity. It
offers a gold medal, big ceremony in Brussels and 100,000
pounds. Jim Hacker learns that the PM is hoping to win
this prize in the YM episode The Writing on the Wall,
and he uses this information to save his department from
closure.
-
- NATO
- Abbreviation for North Atlantic Treaty
Organization.
-
- NHS
- Abbreviation for the National Health
Service.
-
- NUT
- Abbreviation for the National
Union of Teachers.
- OAP
- Abbreviation mentioned in the YM episode The
Challenge and it stands for Old and Aged Pensioners.
-
- OBE
- Honour abbreviation. Stands for Order of the British
Empire.
-
- O-Level
- O-levels are the exams that are taken at age 16. One
could leave school at age 15, but most children stayed on
to take O-levels to get decent jobs. Bright kids went on
to take A-levels at 18, which give entrance to University
if you get enough of them. Sarah Harrison remarks in the
YM episode Equal Opportunities that most of the
civil servant's work requires two O-levels, which is very
poor since most jobs require at least five.
-
- OM
- Honour abbreviation. Stands for Order of Merit. Mention
by Bernard Woolley in the YM episode Doing the
Honours.
-
- OPD
- Abbreviation mentioned in the YPM episode The
Ministerial Broadcast. It stands for Overseas Policy
and Defence Committee.
-
- OPEC
- Abbreviation for Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
- Parkinson's
Law of Social Work
- Mentioned by Dr. Cartwright in the YM episode The
Skeleton in the Cupboard. It states that social
problems increase to occupy the number of social workers
available to deal with them.
-
- PLO
- Abbreviation for Palestine
Liberation Organization.
-
- PM
- Abbreviation for Prime Minister.
-
- Polaris
- British submarine that carries nuclear missiles. In the
YPM episode The Grand Design we learn that there
are four Polaris submarines each carrying sixteen
missiles with three warheads per missile. In total
Britain thus has 192 nuclear bombs with each five times
the power of the Hiroshima bomb. However, the Soviet
Union has 1,200 missiles targeted. In the YPM episode The
Grand Design the plan is to replace Polaris with the
Trident missile. Jim Hacker however wants to cancel this
and use the money to build a large conventional army.
-
- PPS
- Abbreviation for Parliamentary Private Secretary.
-
- Primary Modern
- School level in Great Britain. Mentioned in the YPM episode The
National Education Service.
-
- Propanol
- Chemical that the British Chemical Corporation plans to
produce in the YM episode The Greasy Pole.
Propanol contains metadioxin, an inert compound of
dioxin.
-
- Provost
- Head of a University College. Lord Crichton is Provost of
Kings College in the YM episode The Greasy Pole.
- QC
- Abbreviation mentioned in the YM episode The Moral
Dimension. It stands for Queen's Council.
-
- QED
- Abbreviation for Quad Erat
Demonstrandum.
-
- Quad Erat Demonstrandum
- Latin phrase mentioned by Jim Hacker in the YPM episode The National
Education Service. It translates into: which had to be proved.
-
- Quarantine
- Great Britain has very strict quarantine laws to ensure rabies is kept
out. Every pet animal has to be kept in quarantine for at least 6 months
at Heathrow airport, before it is admitted in the UK. In the YPM episode A
Diplomatic Incident the French President plans to give the Queen a
puppy from the litter of the dog she gave to him three years before.
Because of quarantine the Queen will have to refuse this gift. Jim tries
to find a way around these laws.
-
- Queen Anne
- Scottish whisky brand that Jim Hacker has at home in the
YM episode The Whisky Priest.
- RAF
- Abbreviation for Royal Air Force.
-
- Rolls Royce
Corniche
- Famous car mentioned in the YPM episode The Grand
Design.
-
- Rosewater Jar
- Gift presented to Jim Hacker at the Qumrani reception in
the YM episode The Moral Dimension. Although it
is very valuable, Bernard has it valued for fifty pounds
to make sure Annie Hacker is allowed to keep it. However
the Guardian later finds out about this and this spells
trouble for Jim Hacker.
-
- Round Objects
- Jim Hacker's code to say that a document is total
nonsense. When he uses it in the YM episode Equal
Opportunities Sir Humphrey gets very confused and
wants to know who Round is and to what he objects.
-
- Royal Garden Party
- Yearly event that is attended by all the British aristocracy and
important public figures. Sir Humphrey describes it in the YPM episode The
Bishops Gambit as a significant religious event.
- Savile Row
- Famous suit brand mentioned in the YPM episode The
Grand Design.
-
- SEATO
- Abbreviation for South East Asia Treaty Organisation. See SEATO.
-
- Secondary Modern
- School level in Great Britain. Mentioned in the YPM episode The
National Education Service.
-
- Sermon on the Mount
- Collection of speeches by Jesus Christ. Sir Humphrey
refers to the Sermon on the Mount as a document that
certainly would not have been published as a government
report since it would do damage to the Defence budget.
-
- Si tacuisses, philosophus
mansisses
- Latin saying by Sir Humphrey that translates to: If you had kept your
mouth shut, we may have thought you were clever. Mentioned in the YPM
episode The National Education Service.
-
- Smirnoff
- Vodka brand. In the YM episode The Moral Dimension
the brands of all sorts of spirits are used as a secret
code to get to the security communications room. That
room is filled with booze to surpass the Islamic law
against drinking at the Qumrani reception. Bernard lets
Sir Humphrey know that there is a message from Mr.
Smirnoff from the Soviet Embassy in the communications
room.
-
- Smith and Wessons
- Brand of revolvers. the bodyguards of Jim Hacker in the
YM episode The Death List were wearing these
revolvers.
-
- Solihull-project
- Building project in Solihull that is financed with
government money and private investments. It's
participants are the DAA and Michael Bradley of Sloane
Enterprises Ltd. The project costs 74 million pounds and
spans nine acres. The private investment partner Michael
Bradley however is on the verge of bankruptcy and this is
the main subject of the YM episode Jobs for the Boys.
The contract is finally taken over by the bank of Sir
Desmond Glazebrook after he has been offered a job as
chairman of a quango.
- Target
- Jim Hacker is called a "target" by the
bodyguards that are assigned protecting him against a
possible assassination attack in the YM episode The
Death List.
-
- Teachers
- Whisky brand. In the YM episode The Moral Dimension
the brands of all sorts of spirits are used as a secret
code to get to the security communications room. That
room is filled with booze to surpass the Islamic law
against drinking at the Qumrani reception. Bernard lets
Jim Hacker know that there is a message from a delegation
of teachers in the communications room.
-
- Tempora mutantur, et
nos mutamur in illis
- Latin saying mentioned by Sir Humphrey which translates to: The times
change and we change with the times. Mentioned in the YPM episode The
National Education Service.
-
- Thank Me No
Thankings
- Phrase introduced by Jim Hacker in the YPM episode The
Key. Based upon the saying "but me no
buts".
-
- Time-and-Motion
Study
- Research study to discover the most efficient way of
performing work. In the civil service time-and-motion
studies ultimately lead to recommendations for adding
staff. In the YM episode The Economy Drive Sir
Humphrey tells Jim Hacker that a time-and-motion study in
the year before showed that the DAA needed another 500
people on top of the 23,000 already.
- Timeo
Danaos et Dona Ferentes
- Latin saying roughly translated to Beware of Greeks
bearing gifts. See Trojan Horse. The usage of this saying sparks of a
long monologue by Bernard Woolley in the YM episode The
Bed of Nails.
-
- Titanic
- Famous cruise ship that sunk by hitting an iceberg on its
first journey to America. Mentioned in the YM episode The
Official Visit.
-
- Tower of Babel
- Biblical term referring to a very confused undertaking
because nobody can understand one another. Sir Humphrey
compares the organisation of the EEC bureaucracy with the
Tower of Babel, because of all the different
nationalities in each rank.
-
- TPLAC
- Abbreviation invented by Jim Hacker. It stands for
Tin-Pot Little African Country and is used in the YM
episode The Official Visit.
-
- Trident
- Submarine equipped with nuclear missiles. Manufactured in
the USA and bought by the British government as a
successor to Polaris. Sir Humphrey mentions Trident in
the YM episode The Skeleton in the Cupboard as
an example of government money wasted. In the YPM episode The
Grand Design Trident again appears and now Jim
Hacker (as PM) wants to cancel Trident - which costs
£15 billion - and use the money to build a large
conventional army. Now Sir Humphrey wants to go ahead
with Trident. In subsequent YPM episodes Trident is often
mentioned like in The Ministerial Broadcast and The
Smoke Screen. In the YPM episode A Victory for
Democracy the planned cancellation of Trident drives
Jim Hacker to keep the Americans happy regarding St.
George's Island.
-
- Trojan Horse
- Famous tale that tells of the Greeks conquering Troje by
giving them a large wooden horse as a gift, that secretly
had Greek soldiers inside. This way the Greek got inside
Troje and took control of the city. The inns and outs of
this tale are extensively discussed by Bernard Woolley
(largely a monologue) in the YM episode The Bed of
Nails. He points out that technically it was not a
Trojan Horse at all but a Greek Horse. Furthermore he
extensively discusses the tag Timeo Danaos et
Dona Ferentes.
-
- TSR.2
- Military aircraft developed by the British Aircraft
Corporation for the British government in the late
1950's. Huge development costs and massively over budget.
TSR stands for Tactical Strike and Reconnaissance. Sir
Humphrey mentions TSR.2 as an example of government money
wasted in the YM episode The Skeleton in the Cupboard.
-
- TUC
- Abbreviation for Trade
Union Congress.
- UK
- Abbreviation for United Kingdom.
-
- UN
- Abbreviation for United Nations.
-
- UNESCO
- Abbreviation for United
Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
-
- Unilateralist
- Someone who believes that arms reduction is possible by
the dismantling of nuclear weapons of one side (for
instance by NATO) and this will lead to a dismantling by
the other side as well (USSR). Jim Hacker confesses he
has some sympathy for this argument in the YM episode The
Challenge, but Sir Humphrey immediately says that in
that case he has to resign from the government. Jim
Hacker however is not that unilateralist. Agains in the
YPM episode The Grand Design Sir Humphrey
suspects Jim Hacker to be a unilateralist when he wants
to cancel the order for Trident.
-
- Upper Clyde
Ship Builders
- Mentioned by Sir Humphrey in the YM episode The
Skeleton in the Cupboard as an example of government
money wasted. Presumably Upper Clyde Ship Builders was a
ship construction company in Scotland that depended on
huge government subsidies.
-
- USSR
- Abbreviation for the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics.
- Vat 69
- Whisky brand. In the YM episode The Moral Dimension
the brands of all sorts of spirits are used as a secret
code to get to the security communications room. That
room is filled with booze to surpass the Islamic law
against drinking at the Qumrani reception. Bernard lets
Jim Hacker know that there is a message from in the
communications room from the VAT man about his '69
returns.
- Walker, John(nie)
- Whisky brand. In the YM episode The Moral Dimension
the brands of all sorts of spirits are used as a secret
code to get to the security communications room. That
room is filled with booze to surpass the Islamic law
against drinking at the Qumrani reception. Jim Hacker
lets Bernard know that there is a message from Mr. John
Walker in the communications room.
-
- Western Region Line
- A Western Region Line of British Rail runs close to
Heathrow airport but there is no connection from Heathrow
to it. This fact is mentioned in the YM episode The
Bed of Nails regarding the Integrated National
Transport Policy.
-
- Winalot
- Brand of dog cookies mentioned in the YPM episode One of Us.
- (empty)
- Yorkie Bar
- Candy bar mentioned in the YPM episode The Grand
Design.
-
- YP
- Abbreviation for "Your Problem". Introduced by Sir Frank
Gordon in the YPM episode A Conflict of Interest.
-
- YTS
- Abbreviation for Youth Training Scheme. Mentioned in the YPM episode The
National Education Service.
- (empty)
- 24 Hour
Save the Badger Vigil
- Nude protest vigil that Lucy Hacker and her boyfriend
were planning to hold in Hayward's Spinney. Its purpose
was to keep Hayward's Spinney's special protective
status, so to preserve the badger colony in the Spinney.
At the last moment it was called of because Sir Humphrey
convinced them that there were no badgers in Hayward's
Spinney. Featured in the YM episode The Right to Know.