I grew up knowing the insulting phrase "I fart in your general direction", and recently saw it used by John Cleese in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (apparently its most famous usage):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWBUl7oT9sA
What is the origin of this phrase? Was it invented by the Monty Python crew, or was it already in general use before then?
It seems highly likely that the members of Monty Python were familiar with Ben Jonson's great comedy, The Alchemist (1612), which begins (Act I, Scene 1) with this exchange between Face (a servant overseeing his master's property while the master is away on a lengthy trip) and Subtle (a con man who poses as an alchemist):
Face. Believe't, I will.
Subtle. Thy worst. I fart at thee.
I have no doubt that the similar instance in Monty Python and the Holy Grail is essentially an updating, an homage, and a sillification of that opening retort in Jonson's play.
The repercussions of farting in someone's general direction are recorded in Thomas Cox, A Topographical, Ecclesiastical, and Natural History of Oxfordshire (1700):
In his March, he [William of Normandy] heard that this City of Oxford had rebelled against him, which obliged him to go a little out of his way to still them ; when he came thither, he found the Citizens resolved to defend themselves, being environed with a strong Wall ; whereupon he having no Way to gin it but by a Siege, he took a View of it round, in order to his attacking of it. In his Way one of the besieged got upon the Walls, and pulling down his Breeches let a Fart at him, which when he was informed of, he burst out into a Passion, and swore, he would avenge the Affront, which he soon did ; for he took it at the first Attack, and left it to be harassed and plundered by his Soldiers, who slew not only many Citizens, but Academicks ; yet the present Sufferings were not the sole bad Effects of the Rebellion.
And from the entry for October 14, 1608, in G.B. Harrison, Journal for 1608, reprinted in Report on the Manuscripts of the Marquess of Downshire, Preserved at Easthampstead Park, Berks: Papers of William Trumbull, the elder, 1605-1610 (1936) [combined snippets]:
At that Captain Bruz turned back, and Sir T. Studder asked him whether he had no better manners, whereunto Captain Bruz answered that he was as good a man as Studder and had no cap for any men but those whom he liked. And then that Studder replied that my Lord Ambassador was angry with Sir Edmond Bainham because he would not put off his hat to him, and that there was almost as much difference between himself and Captn. Bruz as between my Lord Ambr. and Sir Edmond Bainham, and hereupon lifting up his leg, let a fart at him and bid him carry that in his teeth to his companions.
There thus appears to have been a lively but imperfectly remembered tradition of insult farting in English history, between the Conquest and the early 1600s.
Scotland is represented, too, in James Kelly, Complete Collection of Scottish Proverbs (1721):
Titt for tatt, quoth the Wife when she farted at the Thunder.
A sens[e]less Proverb spoken when we give as good as we get.
Monty Python follow in this distinguished line of directed farting and undoubtedly deserve credit for the "in your general direction" refinement of the old insult.
It is interesting to note that a similar taunt can be found in the holy bible.
Isaiah 16:11 Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kirharesh.
Ngram shows usage of the expression from the early 90's.
It appreas to be original from the movie and made popular by the Python crew; the Python archives from the early 90's contain that expression.
Two of these lines you no doubt recognize as uttered by the obnoxious mocking French guard the Grail questers encounter on their journey. Played by John Cleese, the Frenchman gets some of the best lines in the film, including the offending “fart” and “testicles” bits. Forstater must have had a keen sense of just how funny—therefore how necessary—these lines were. In his suggestions to White, he writes,
- I would like to get back to the Censor and agree to lose the shits, ...... lose Oh fuck off, but to retain ‘fart in your general direction’.............
Josephus Flavius, in his The Jewish Wars (circa 75 AD), writes this:
Now after the death of Herod, king of Chalcis, Claudius set Agrippa, the son of Agrippa, over his uncle's kingdom, while Cumanus took upon him the office of procurator of the rest, which was a Roman province, and therein he succeeded Alexander; under which Cureanus began the troubles, and the Jews' ruin came on; for when the multitude were come together to Jerusalem, to the feast of unleavened bread, and a Roman cohort stood over the cloisters of the temple, (for they always were armed, and kept guard at the festivals, to prevent any innovation which the multitude thus gathered together might make,) one of the soldiers pulled back his garment, and cowering down after an indecent manner, turned his breech to the Jews, and spake such words as you might expect upon such a posture. At this the whole multitude had indignation, and made a clamor to Cumanus, that he would punish the soldier; while the rasher part of the youth, and such as were naturally the most tumultuous, fell to fighting, and caught up stones, and threw them at the soldiers. Upon which Cumanus was afraid lest all the people should make an assault upon him, and sent to call for more armed men, who, when they came in great numbers into the cloisters, the Jews were in a very great consternation; and being beaten out of the temple, they ran into the city; and the violence with which they crowded to get out was so great, that they trod upon each other, and squeezed one another, till ten thousand of them were killed, insomuch that this feast became the cause of mourning to the whole nation, and every family lamented their own relations.
In 0ther words, a soldier farted in the general direction of the Jews celebrating passover. The insult sparked a riot killing many.
