Only Fools And Horses fans praise 'clever' joke 37 years after gag

Only Fools And Horses enthusiasts have been singing the praises of a “rather clever” joke that many are only now getting their heads around – 37 years after it was first broadcast.

The iconic British sitcom continues to draw in legions of fans, and as new generations come to watch it, some of the show’s humour can occasionally miss the mark. Whether it’s down to the distinct Cockney backdrop or references that don’t quite translate to the present day, certain gags require a bit more unpacking.

This was the case with a gag from the 1987 Christmas special titled ‘The Frog’s Legacy’, where the Trotter brothers set off on an adventure to unearth the hidden gold of a family acquaintance, Freddie “The Frog” Robdal, reports the Daily Star.

In one scene, Del Boy brings up a job prospect for Rodney, mentioning a position as a “trainee computer programmer” that might lead to an “executive” post. However, Rodney dismisses it, thinking it would involve “thought he’d be humping boxes round and all that”.

Del then remarks: “He mentioned your CV. How bad’s that eh? Nice little Citroen.” Rodney clarifies: “No, I think he might have been referring to my curriculum vitae.”

This prompts Albert to chime in with: “Well that’s no problem, there’s no heavy lifting involved.” A Reddit user by the handle u/rogueherrie admitted to being baffled by the joke. “Presuming he was taking the mick out of Rodney’s very limited work experience? ” they queried.

A Reddit user has explained the joke in Only Fools and Horses that had viewers baffled for 40 years. The long-running sitcom featured a memorable scene where Del Boy’s brother Rodney is asked by his granddad to detail his work experience.

When Rodney replies with “curriculum vitae”, Albert mistakes it as a Latin name for a back injury or a part of your spine, such as cervical vertebrae.

One Reddit user, Babtridge, explained: “No, it’s a joke about Rodney talking about his work experience ‘curriculum vitae’, which Albert mistakes as a Latin name for a back injury or a part of your spine, eg cervical vertebrae.” The original poster responded by branding the joke “rather clever” now that they understood it.