Another fine mess

[Waterwolf]

Was it Laurel or Hardy who used to say the above line? This was a question in a quiz I once entered, and they said the answer was Stan Laurel. But I've always thought it was Oliver Hardy.

[robber1]

Oliver Hardy said "Another fine mess youve gotten me into",to Stan Laurel.

[Merthyr Imp]

It's actually a myth that either of them said anything about 'Another fine mess'. The closest to it is when Oliver Hardy says to Stan Laurel: 'Well, here's another nice mess you've got me into'. Note that it is NICE mess and not FINE mess. Other myths of a similar nature that come to mind are: 1. Sherlock Holmes never said 'Elementary, my dear Watson' (at least not in the books). 2. No-one in 'Casablanca' says 'Play it again, Sam'. 3. Mae West never said 'Come up and see me some time'.

[andy hughes]

Yep, misquotes and misunderstandings are everywhere in literature. Hamlet does not say "Alas poor Yorrick, I knew him well ..." he actually says "Alas poor Yorrick, I knew him Horatio ..." and similalry, when Juliet says "Romeo Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo ..." it has nothing to do with her lover's geographical location, she is asking WHY he is Romeo, in other words, a member of the family with which her own family is virtually at war - which puts a whole new meaning on the speech, and kills all those stupid jokes about him being under the balcony. Any more for any more?

[robber1]

Gosh!

[The Rutt]

fancy that!

[robber1]

Well I never.

[FredPuli]

'Another fine mess ' ( not 'nice mess' )was the title of a film of theirs made in 1930. The basic plot was taken complete, without credit, by Stan Laurel from a sketch by his father which he knew from boyhood.. 'Nice mess' sounds more American than British. 'Fine mess' sounds the opposite. It may well be that the Englishman, Laurel knew the expression as 'fine' but the American from the South changed the line, early on in their act, to what he was happier with and came more naturally to him.