What do the initials ITMA stand for

Tony B asks:�
A. It's That Man Again a hugely successful British radio comedy series.

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Q.� Why haven't we heard of it
A. You would have if you'd spent long evenings sitting behind your blackout curtains during the Second World War. It's the radio show that kept the people of Britain laughing through the Blitz.

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Q.� Who was 'that man'
A.� The title was taken from a Daily Express headline�that referred to Adolf Hitler, but in the radio series, 'that man' was Tommy Handley, a comedian who devised and starred in the series. The script (which had to have a laugh every eight seconds - at least 100 jokes a show) was written by Ted Kavanagh, father of the poet PJ Kavanagh. The series ran from 1939 until Tommy Handley died in 1949.

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Q.� Why was it so popular
A.� It featured a number of 'loveable' characters, each with their own memorable catchphrase.

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Q.� Such as...
A.� Colonel Chinstrap's was 'I don't mind if I do'; Funf the spy's was 'Ziss iss Funf speakink'; Mona Lott the depressed laundress's was 'It's being so cheerful that keeps me going', Mrs Tickle's 'I always does my best for all my gentlemen'...

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Q.� Every one a winner, then
A.� Yes, and there's more... Ali Oop, the saucy seaside postcard seller; Claude and Cecil the polite handymen; the Minister of Aggravation and Mysteries; his right-hand man Fusspot; and, of course, Mrs Mopp, the char.

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Q.� What was so special about Mrs Mopp
A.� Her memorable catchphrases included, 'Can I do you now, sir ' and 'Ta-ta for now', which was shortened to 'TTFN' (later beloved of radio disk jockeys).

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Q.� So, even more catchphrases than The Fast Show
A.� Possibly. And there's one that even The Fast Show couldn't outdo: 'NCTWWASBE', which was translated into 'Never clean the windows with a soft boiled egg'!

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By Hermione Gray

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