MovieChat Forums > The Honeymooners (1955) Discussion > A mere bag of shells

A mere bag of shells

posted 9 years ago by t-pitt-1
4 replies | jump to latest

I love it when Ralph dismisses something as 'a mere bag of shells' when he really means 'a mere bagatelle' - meaning something trivial or insignificant. He uses this line several times in different episodes.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] stevenackerman69 9 years ago

Yeah, maybe he is a little bit like Archie Bunker would be on All in the Family, mispronouncing words and expressions.

[–] pepperdog61 9 years ago

There's a word for that, it's called a "malaprop." Named for Mrs. Malaprop, a character from an 18th-century British play who had a propensity for them.

[–] mwmtampa 9 years ago

Actually, there are a couple of sources listing the phrase "bag of shells" as being Australian slang in origin. Used to reference something as a "trifle" or as "unimportant".

http://www.encyclo.co.uk/meaning-of-Bag%20Of%20Shells