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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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ITMA
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(1939–49) The first of the BBC's zany weekly radio shows to win a secure place in public memory. Its quirky characters and their catch phrases kept Britain amused throughout and after the war until the death of the star, Tommy Handley (1892–1949). The title, standing for 'It's That Man Again!', referred to Hitler – unspeakable but unavoidable in 1939. Much of the action took place in a ghastly wartime bureaucracy, the Office of Twerps. Notable among many popular characters were the lugubrious Mona Lott ('It's being so cheerful as keeps me going'), Mrs Mopp ('Can I do you now, sir?') and Colonel Chinstrap, eager for liquid refreshment ('I don't mind if I do').
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