What does "Buy British, get Boris" mean?
In Endeavour S05E05, Bagshot and Morse discuss some spying/agents stuff between Britain and Russia during the Cold War (1960s):
Bagshot: There have been rumours for some time that HMG (Her Majesty's Government) has been penetrated to Cabinet level. Maybe even beyond.
Morse: No. I don't believe that.
Bagshot: You may not, but our friends on the Continent seriously think so. Why do you think de Gaulle is so determined to keep us out of the European Community? Buy British, get Boris.
Who is this "Boris" here and what does "Buy British, get Boris" mean in this context?
Best Answer
Boris has commonly been used to mean "Russian/Communist" in English / US slang, at least during the Cold War period.
Thus the phrase "Buy British, get Boris" implies that remaining British centered was playing into the hands of the communist-infiltrated UK government.
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Answer 2
Many common names have been used as derogatory terms for specific ethnicities, nationalities, countries, personality types, etc. They may originate from a predominantly used actual name. Or, they could originate from a famous or dominant person from the indicated culture. Many of these are used regionally. Some of these are so widespread that they are almost universal. Most must be taken in context to make sense. For the most part, their usage would be considered rude at best. Boris is such a derogatory term meant to indicate communist Russia.
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