What does "12 and 6 in a plain wrapper" mean?
(Monty Python's Flying Circus was just added to Netflix.)
By Netflix's reckoning, S1E11 ("The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Goes to the Bathroom") has a segment called "The World of History: Social Legislation in the 18th Century" that overlays staid historical mumblings with some racy female nudity. The core of the bit centers around a series of buffoons, all professors named "Gumby," making ludicrous statements.
After statements from several of these morons, they return to Carol Cleveland in lingerie, holding up a mechanical beater, and saying (in Cleese's voice):
"One subject, four different views. 12 and 6 in a plain wrapper."
What does that mean? I'm not familiar with "12 and 6," which seems like some kind of euphemism or synecdoche.
Best Answer
The "12 and 6" refers to the pre-decimal currency used in the UK. Prior to February 1971 the UK pound consisted of 12 pennies (pence) to a shilling and 20 shillings to a pound. After decimalisation, there were 100 pennies (pence) to one pound and the shilling was abolished, replaced by a coin which was equal to 5 pence. Some people still referred to the new coin as a shilling, thus "keeping" 20 shillings to a pound.
12 and 6 means 12 shillings and six pence. It's the price of the item being offered. It's being offered in a plain wrapper as it's somewhat racy, and that's how materials of that nature were always sold/delivered - without any markings to identify possibly embarrassing content.
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