ze cooler

"In the cooler" generally means being put in jail. I'm pretty sure the way Jeremy said it in that accent, was a joke about certain Germans back in the war putting prisoners in jail. Or solitary confinement.

Or both. :)
 
When used by Jeremy, "the cooler" refers to the 1963 film "The Great Escape" about a group of allied POWs escaping from Stalag Luft III. One of the main characters, played by Steve McQueen, is nicknamed "The Cooler King" because of all the time he has spent in solitary confinement after trying to escape. The German Officers sending him back in with the words "Cooler, two weeks!" is kind of a running gag throughout the film.

The film, eventhough American-made, has become one of the icons of Britishness and a staple of the BBC's Christmas programming.
 
A lot of old style English humour is based on the war, and war films. James and Jeremy are two particular examples of this. In "Fawlty Towers" John Cleese meets a German, and keeps mentioning the war in subtle - and not so subtle ways. The greatest quote was "Don't mention the war, I did once - but I think I got away with it"

These days, although England and Germany still have friendly pokes at each other - the war references are beginning to be consigned to comedy history.
 
I've never actually watched that film, I probably should this Christmas. I do love that Fawlty Towers episode though.
 
The war references were beginning to disappear after the 5:0 victory in Munich, but given englands performance in recent times, one might just go back to war references. :D
 
I laugh so hard every time that I watch the episode when Jeremy does that. Always brings back fond memories of The Great Escape. That movie is a must watch.
 
DaShowstoppa said:
A lot of old style English humour is based on the war, and war films. James and Jeremy are two particular examples of this. In "Fawlty Towers" John Cleese meets a German, and keeps mentioning the war in subtle - and not so subtle ways. The greatest quote was "Don't mention the war, I did once - but I think I got away with it"
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"Will you stop talking about the war!"

"You started it!"

"No we didn't!"

"Yes you did, you invaded poland!"
 
The animated film "Chicken Run" by the folks who did Wallace & Gromit, is a kind of reference/parody of "The Great Escape". The "cooler" is a dumpster there, where chicken Ginger is thrown in repeatedly by the farmer, after her attempts to escape the camp, I mean, chicken farm :)

Oh and it should be mentioned, that the movie "The Great Escape" is no fiction but based on real events. It also seems to be made on location in Germany and is actually quite accurately done, with German actors playing German soldiers not like cartoon characters. So also Germans can enjoy the film without cringing (I own the DVD Special Edition) :)

It's not some over-the-top nonsense, like for example the fictional "Where Eagles dare" after the Alistair MacLean novel, which is an ok action flick but in parts is so stereotypically and badly made, that you will develop physical pain, when you forgot to leave your brain outside of the room. Also it's my favourite for the most mithering music score in all movie history. I mention that movie, because it was also used as a reference by Top Gear in the past.
 
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namealreadyinuse said:
Ummm, Hogan's Heroes anyone, for the cooler reference. For everything else in life, Fawlty Towers rox!
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Well, if we're to pick a TV show that might have influenced the young Jezza or May, Hogan's Heroes won't be it. Colditz, on the other hand. James has said during one of his programs (Top Toys) that Colditz was all the fame when he was a lad.
 
MacGuffin said:
The animated film "Chicken Run" by the folks who did Wallace & Gromit, is a kind of reference/parody of "The Great Escape". The "cooler" is a dumpster there, where chicken Ginger is thrown in repeatedly by the farmer, after her attempts to escape the camp, I mean, chicken farm :)

Oh and it should be mentioned, that the movie "The Great Escape" is no fiction but based on real events. It also seems to be made on location in Germany and is actually quite accurately done, with German actors playing German soldiers not like cartoon characters. So also Germans can enjoy the film without cringing (I own the DVD Special Edition) :)

It's not some over-the-top nonsense, like for example the fictional "Where Eagles dare" after the Alistair MacLean novel, which is an ok action flick but in parts is so stereotypically and badly made, that you will develop physical pain, when you forgot to leave your brain outside of the room. Also it's my favourite for the most mithering music score in all movie history. I mention that movie, because it was also used as a reference by Top Gear in the past.
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I found the book by Paul Brickhill to be very interesting. As a POW in Stalag Luft III he wrote a first hand account of his experiences in the camp, how the escape was planned and managed, and probably even more interesting, the investigation after the war and how the British investigators tracked down the Nazis responsible for the executions.

The movie took a few liberties (as they all do), such as the leap over the border fence by McQueen's character. It didn't happen ;) Interestingly McQueen wanted to do the jump himself but unfortunately they couldnt get the insurance. He was certainly a one of a kind actor :)
 
nomix said:
Well, if we're to pick a TV show that might have influenced the young Jezza or May, Hogan's Heroes won't be it. Colditz, on the other hand. James has said during one of his programs (Top Toys) that Colditz was all the fame when he was a lad.
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I was actually relating HH back to the original poster who is from Oklahoma and therefore might be old enough to get the reference from there. Being 47 and American, it was my first thought, although I recognize it from GE also. Never saw Colditz, although my Brit BH loved the show.
 
"The Great Escape" is on TV here in a few minutes. I any German-speaking forum member doesn't know it yet, switch to ARD :)
 
namealreadyinuse said:
I was actually relating HH back to the original poster who is from Oklahoma and therefore might be old enough to get the reference from there. Being 47 and American, it was my first thought, although I recognize it from GE also. Never saw Colditz, although my Brit BH loved the show.
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Colidtz is pretty nice. I've always enjoyed that it doesn't really paint the brits, poles and french as superheroes, and that it doesn't paint the Germans as animals. That said, neither does Hogan's Heroes, but HH is a little moreof a comedy than Colditz.

:)
 
nomix said:
Colidtz is pretty nice. I've always enjoyed that it doesn't really paint the brits, poles and french as superheroes, and that it doesn't paint the Germans as animals. That said, neither does Hogan's Heroes, but HH is a little moreof a comedy than Colditz.

:)
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You know where i can get my hands on Colditz episodes?
 
Yes. They are known to exist on the internet.
 
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