Shave and a Haircut: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

Two bits!

 

 

While the rhythm is flexible, and the words change, it's always the same tune.

 

{{examples}}

* In [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M27yK34I2d4 "Is It A Break?"] from the ''[[Azumanga Daioh]]'' soundtrack, the "shave and a haircut" melody can be heard at about 55 seconds in.

 

* Used in classic style in ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit?]]?'', complete with the demonstration that an animated character ''must,'' simply ''must'', [[Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are|complete the line]] if "two bits" is omitted.

* Several ''[[Three Stooges]]'' short subject films have them. Usually a stooge (usually [[Too Dumb to Live|Curly]]) would tap something (usually a wall) and get a response from whatever is on the other side ([[Rule of Three|usually some kind of monster]]). They would mirror it perfectly until the "shave and a haircut" part was tapped out. A delay, a "nyuk nyuk", a "two bits" response, and you know the rest.

* ''[[Ace Ventura]]'' used this in the [[Animated Adaptation]]: He suspects he's being followed and does the "Shave and Haircut" on his car, since the other car responded with the two bits, he knows he's being followed.

* Used in ''[[Ferris Bueller's Day Off]]'' when a florist delivers flowers to Ferris's house, where Mr. Rooney is. The florist honks the "shave and a haircut" but. Mr. Rooney [[Flipping the Bird|flips the bird]] in lieu of the 'two bits'.

* This tune shows up in ''[[You've Got Mail]]'' at the end of the scene where Joe and Kathleen meet (physically) for the first time.

* In a scene in ''[[Spy Kids]]'', Juni accidentally handcuffs himself to a metal lunchbox. He walks away from Carmen, trying to shake it off, and the soundtrack drum plays "Shave and a Haircut". Juni responds with "two bits" by smashing the lunchbox into the wall, and the lunchbox rebounds and slams into his head.

* Used in ''[[What's Eating Gilbert Grape]]'', when Gilbert has to lure Arnie down from the water tower: "Match in the gas tank, boom boom!"

 

* Known on ''[[Discworld]]'' as "Shave and a haircut, no legs" being the jingle of the Guild of Barber Surgeons.

{{quote|Lias: Shave and haircut good deal for two pence.}}

* According to John McCain's autobiography, Vietnamese people are incapable of tapping out Shave and a Haircut, and he and other American POWs would use it to hail each other through walls.

* Shows up in a couple of [[The Dresden Files]] novels. The first time it appears, Harry uses the words "six bits!" as the punchline - perhaps he learned of the gag from the Michelle Shocked example below in Music? Regardless, someone must have corrected him, as in a later book he uses the more common "two bits" version.

 

* Most Muppet sketches on ''[[Sesame Street]]'' have these.

** The ''[[Muppets Tonight]]'' version of the "Mana-mana" sketch (where the pink... ''things'' have been appearing whenever Kermit says "phenomena") ends with Sandra Bullock's psychiatrist character saying "you should see what happens whenever I say "Shave and a haircut"... Cue a giant furry monster appearing out of nowhere, lounged across her desk: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5Mc55P1i9g "Two bits!"]

* In the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode The Doctor's Wife this is what the white message box uses to knock on the TARDIS' door.

** In fact, the closed captions for the episode actually read "Knocking 'shave and a haircut'".

* Played with in an episode of ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''. In the movie ''[[The Atomic Brain]]'', the antagonist knocks on a door to find out of two of the girls she hired were in the room. Mike quips "'Shave And A Haircut'! What do we do?"

 

** The [[Smothers Brothers]] did something similar involving church bells that combined to form the tune.

* In nearly every one of his polka medleys, [[Weird Al|"Weird Al" Yankovic]] includes "Shave and a Haircut" right before the final few notes.

* Mike Portnoy of [[Dream Theater]] has used this as an audience participation segment at the end of his drum solo.

* At the end of Michelle Shocked's version of "The Arkansas Traveler"(?) the old man playing the farmer in the dialogue parts ends up flubbing the classic ending, "Shave and a haircut: two bits!" by saying "six bits" instead. [[Throw It In|This is followed by]] his and Michelle's raucous laughter, and the old man muttering the quip, "Six bits?...I'll saw you in half for six bits...."

 

 

 

* ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' featured a version of the tune, titled "Rat-a-Tat-Tat, It's . . . Mitsuda!", in its [[Developer's Room|toughest ending]]. (Yasunori Mitsuda was the composer.)

* The first five notes appear at about 55 seconds into [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kyv_pc8y7QU&feature=related the stage 2 theme] from ''Mr. Gimmick!''.

* In ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV]]'', sometimes when you honk the first half of this tune using a car horn, other drivers will respond with the rest.

 

 

* [[Steamboat Willie]] uses this to end the "Turkey in the Straw" sequence.

* Too many ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' cartoons to name right now.

* [[Cute Bruiser|To]][[Little Miss Badass|ph]] of ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' knocked on a door this way in the [[Grand Finale]], but instead of ''knocking'' the "bits" part she {{spoiler|[[Crowning Moment of Awesome|knocked said steel door down. She then turned it into armor, and used it to defeat multiple superpowered firebenders in a couple seconds]]}}.

* ''[[The Simpsons]]'' had it at the end of the Presidents Day assembly's song for "lesser" President.

* Played by Owen in the ''[[Total Drama Island]]'' episode "I Triple Dog Dare You" on his freebie bottles.

 

* The Italian one (Ammazza la vecchia col Flit) means "Kill the old woman with DDT!"...!!

* The phrase "hasta la vista, baby" fits the sting almost perfectly.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Score and Music Tropes]]