Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

? what is origin of SWMBO?

97 views
Skip to first unread message

ecl01

unread,
Aug 30, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/30/99
to
my friend and I are in the middle of a 'discussion' - we have differing
options on where the term 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' originated from. I say
it's from "Dr. Who" - bob says its from some show on PBS of an English
lawyer.

can anyone give testimony on our 'discussion'

e

Kevin Neelley

unread,
Aug 30, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/30/99
to
'She Who Must Be Obeyed' is a character in H. Ryder Haggard's novel "She".
There are several novels in Haggard's series about this African queen. I've
read them years ago and enjoyed them.

Kevin

ecl01 wrote in message <#UETz$18#GA.241@cpmsnbbsa03>...

Kevin Neelley

unread,
Aug 30, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/30/99
to
I remember Rumpole (of the Bailey) referring to his wife as SWMBO, but this
was a reference to Haggard's novels which were written in the 1920's or
1930's.

Kevin

Joe wrote in message <37CB5746...@home.com>...
>Its definitely not Dr. Who. I believe the show is Rumpol (sp) of the
>Baily (also sp).
>
>Joe

Joe

unread,
Aug 31, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/31/99
to

Ron Magen

unread,
Aug 31, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/31/99
to
"Rumpole of the Bailey" played by Leo McKern.
BBC series on various PBS stations.
Very funny, if you like English humor with a twist . . . a lot of pompous
balloon bursting

Ron

Ron Magen

unread,
Aug 31, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/31/99
to
PS: It was his 'affectionate' name for his wife

Bill Mackey

unread,
Aug 31, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/31/99
to
Kevin Neelley wrote:
>
> 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' is a character in H. Ryder Haggard's novel "She".
> There are several novels in Haggard's series about this African queen. I've
> read them years ago and enjoyed them.
>
> Kevin
>
> ecl01 wrote in message <#UETz$18#GA.241@cpmsnbbsa03>...
> >my friend and I are in the middle of a 'discussion' - we have differing
> >options on where the term 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' originated from. I say
> >it's from "Dr. Who" - bob says its from some show on PBS of an English
> >lawyer.
> >
> >can anyone give testimony on our 'discussion'
> >
> >e
> >
> >
Kevin: You are correct. Ever seen the movie version with Ursula
Andress. What a babe!

Dave A. Homeowner

unread,
Aug 31, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/31/99
to whma...@erols.com

Or as they called her in Playboy sometime back in the 70's(?) Ursula
Undress.

Gary Robson

unread,
Aug 31, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/31/99
to
"ecl01" <ec...@email.msn.com> wrote:
>my friend and I are in the middle of a 'discussion' - we have differing
>options on where the term 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' originated from.

See the rec.woodworking FAQ.

-=- Gary -=-

rec.woodworking FAQ: http://www.robson.org/woodfaq/
Closed Captioning FAQ: http://www.robson.org/capfaq/
My Web Site: http://www.robson.org/gary/

Grumble

unread,
Sep 1, 1999, 3:00:00 AM9/1/99
to
Rumpole of the Bailey it is.

'Er indoors - George Cole on Minder

Dave Turner

unread,
Sep 1, 1999, 3:00:00 AM9/1/99
to
Bill Mackey <whma...@erols.com> wrote:

>Kevin Neelley wrote:
>>
>> 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' is a character in H. Ryder Haggard's novel "She".
>> There are several novels in Haggard's series about this African queen. I've
>> read them years ago and enjoyed them.
>>
>> Kevin
>>
>> ecl01 wrote in message <#UETz$18#GA.241@cpmsnbbsa03>...

>> >my friend and I are in the middle of a 'discussion' - we have differing

>> >options on where the term 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' originated from. I say
>> >it's from "Dr. Who" - bob says its from some show on PBS of an English
>> >lawyer.
>> >
>> >can anyone give testimony on our 'discussion'
>> >
>> >e
>> >
>> >
>Kevin: You are correct. Ever seen the movie version with Ursula
>Andress. What a babe!

Actually I liked the other woman better. Maybe it was Ustane played by
Rosenda Monteros.

See: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0059710 for a bit on the movie cast.

Regards,

Dave


Nicholas Hicks

unread,
Sep 2, 1999, 3:00:00 AM9/2/99
to
I think that was 'Rumpole' - Hilda was SWMBO!!
Regards
Nick

CKHahn

unread,
Sep 3, 1999, 3:00:00 AM9/3/99
to
>I think that was 'Rumpole' - Hilda was SWMBO!!
>Regards
>Nick

This is the correct answer in my opinion!
Chris

Duke of URLs

unread,
Sep 3, 1999, 3:00:00 AM9/3/99
to
Nick & Chris opine:

Sorry boys, but you both are wrong. The following comes from DejaNews
and no additional electrons were killed in it's gathering....

****************************************************************
This comes from the Rumpole of the Bailey FAQ page.

Rumpole covertly refers to his wife, Hilda, as "She Who Must Be
Obeyed,"

"She," or "S.W.M.B.O." The phrase is from H. Rider Haggard's
adventure novel, "She." The title character, Ayesha, Queen of Kor, is
known to her subjects as SWMBO.

****************************************************************
And you thought we had too much time on our hands.

More specifically it appears in chapter twelve of "She" where you will
find this excerpt.

How is it that ye hold your lives so cheap as to place them in the
hollow of the hand of Hiya, into the hand of "She-who-must-be-obeyed"?

Henry Rider (H.R.) Haggard wrote "She" in 1886 and is considered to be
the spark for later adventure writers like Edger Rice Burroughs.

One last tidbit of information about the usage of SWMBO on the
woodworking forums. This may or may not be fact but it does make for
a humorous side bar. The first use of this acronym is said to have
come about when some lucky woodworker was told by his wife that he
should buy a particular tool he'd had his eye on. What could he do
but heed the command of "She-who-must-be-obeyed"?

Keith Bohn

0 new messages