The Episode with Lloyd Cross -?? Confusion....

[Tiffy540]

1. What was the insult when Jack said 'why did mommy spank you' after he said his name was, Lloyd Cross ??


2. In the episode Janet said he might be ancient. Then his character is supposed to be 40+ years old. So how old were the 'kids' supposed to be if 40 years was "old" ??? Forty- years of age doesn't seem like that old to me but thats today's standards; maybe in 1977 that is old.

[JackJanetChrissy]

1) Jack was making a joke about his name. Jack was pretending like Lloyd had said, "Lloyd's cross" instead of just his name. "Cross" is a word meaning upset or angry. It's more of a British word. That play on words might have been carried over from the original Man About the House show, which was British.

2) 40 is not old, but to a 20-something it certainly seems more mature. I remember when I was in my early 20s I thought anyone who was 30+ seemed much more "adult" than me! Also I think dating a partner 15+ years older seems like a bigger deal the younger you are. The older you get, the less those age differences seem to matter. It's all relative. That's my take, anyway.

In reality, Suzanne Somers was 30 when she started Three's Company! And Joyce DeWitt was 26 or 27. John Ritter was also in his late twenties, but I think we were supposed to believe all three were in their early-to-mid twenties.

[Mace Dolex]

Originally Posted by JackJanetChrissy

1) Jack was making a joke about his name. Jack was pretending like Lloyd had said, "Lloyd's cross" instead of just his name. "Cross" is a word meaning upset or angry. It's more of a British word. That play on words might have been carried over from the original Man About the House show, which was British.

Odd that the writers would leave that in there or didn't just come up with a more American joke equivalent of it.

[Olivia Kendall]

Two things I remember about this episode.

Chrissy actually wasn't acting like a ditzy moron and was spunky and aggeressive when she dumped the flowers on him and Helen's extended.close-up in regard to her friend Lloyd's marital status.

By the way how cheap the sets were on that show especially in the early seaaons!. Everything looked like it was done on a shoestring budget.

[Angeleen109]

Oh my gosh! Really?! 'Cross' is NOT "more of a British word", it is used as much as the words "annoyed" or "angry" that are synonymous with it. I've known the definition of 'cross' since elementary school. It's basic vocabulary & was "left in" because it IS a common "American" adjective.

Reminds me of the word 'yon'. In the movie 'Gone With The Wind', Rhett Butler asks Scarlett, who is feeling guilty, "......tell me, what have you done that hell yons before you?". Yet, in all the subtitles I've ever seen, whether in a fan-made YouTube video or even the official subtitles on the dvd, they phrase it, "....tell me, what have you done that hell YAWNS before you.".

yon - 1. (derivative of yonder) (dated or dialectal) That (thing) over there; of something distant, but within sight.

The truth of the matter is, the younger generation lacks the extensive vocabulary of previous generations. The simple fact is, people read more in previous decades (pre-80's, I'd estimate) with little more than the radio or tv to distract them. But the 80's onward, you not only have radio & tv but even more tv (with the advent of cable) PLUS video games (even portable ones like GameBoy) PLUS internet PLUS interactive phones with predictive texting (that lack a significant amount of words, even the most basic of words I've had to manually add in on my own) & because of all these things, books are decreasingly the alternative form of entertainment.

As for the second question, it is quite clear that Janet & Chrissy are supposed to be virginal & innocent as opposed to Jack. Though Janet &Chrissy might flirt, joke & run around in skimpy outfits, at the end of the day do not go any further than the behaviors above & withhold from the actual act, particularly moreso with Chrissy, who is depicted as childlike, impressionable & naive (it seems her character was supposed to be early-mid 20's with her mental age being significantly younger in some instances) - so her dating someone older would be more scandalous because dating a man 20 yrs her senior would make him more "sophisticated" & therefore he'd expect certain things out of a relationship (i.e. sex) that maybe a boy Chrissy's age would be more understanding & patient about & willing to wait for, especially in that time period where young women still waited for marriage (or at least society's standards still feigned they did then)

Why must everything be explained to the milennial generation?? That's why I can't stand shows today - every joke/action has to be spelt out to them, there's no reading between the lines anymore. That's why I prefer classic programs, where the shows aren't dumbed down & instead are sophisticated, where the audience is trusted to "get it".

I remember where there was a thread on the IMDB message boards regarding the movie 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles' - the discussion dealt with a part of the script that did not make it into the movie, where the wife of Steve Martin's character believes all these delays of him getting home were really excuses to cover up him cheating & she outright accuses him of it at one point & the poster goes on to say that if they hadn't read that deleted scene they would have never guessed that was the reason the wife acted very upset throughout the movie. Seriously? I picked up on that the first time I watched the damn film. It was quite obvious that she was anxious & getting suspicious after the constant excuses even though it was left unsaid & you saw the relief in her eyes when she sees John Candy's character in person.



I apologized if I sound harsh, it just annoys me that the younger generation need to be hit over the head with a concept nowadays.

[JackJanetChrissy]

Originally Posted by Angeleen109

Oh my gosh! Really?! 'Cross' is NOT "more of a British word", it is used as much as the words "annoyed" or "angry" that are synonymous with it. I've known the definition of 'cross' since elementary school. It's basic vocabulary & was "left in" because it IS a common "American" adjective.

Reminds me of the word 'yon'. In the movie 'Gone With The Wind', Rhett Butler asks Scarlett, who is feeling guilty, "......tell me, what have you done that hell yons before you?". Yet, in all the subtitles I've ever seen, whether in a fan-made YouTube video or even the official subtitles on the dvd, they phrase it, "....tell me, what have you done that hell YAWNS before you.".

yon - 1. (derivative of yonder) (dated or dialectal) That (thing) over there; of something distant, but within sight.

The truth of the matter is, the younger generation lacks the extensive vocabulary of previous generations. The simple fact is, people read more in previous decades (pre-80's, I'd estimate) with little more than the radio or tv to distract them. But the 80's onward, you not only have radio & tv but even more tv (with the advent of cable) PLUS video games (even portable ones like GameBoy) PLUS internet PLUS interactive phones with predictive texting (that lack a significant amount of words, even the most basic of words I've had to manually add in on my own) & because of all these things, books are decreasingly the alternative form of entertainment.

As for the second question, it is quite clear that Janet & Chrissy are supposed to be virginal & innocent as opposed to Jack. Though Janet &Chrissy might flirt, joke & run around in skimpy outfits, at the end of the day do not go any further than the behaviors above & withhold from the actual act, particularly moreso with Chrissy, who is depicted as childlike, impressionable & naive (it seems her character was supposed to be early-mid 20's with her mental age being significantly younger in some instances) - so her dating someone older would be more scandalous because dating a man 20 yrs her senior would make him more "sophisticated" & therefore he'd expect certain things out of a relationship (i.e. sex) that maybe a boy Chrissy's age would be more understanding & patient about & willing to wait for, especially in that time period where young women still waited for marriage (or at least society's standards still feigned they did then)

Why must everything be explained to the milennial generation?? That's why I can't stand shows today - every joke/action has to be spelt out to them, there's no reading between the lines anymore. That's why I prefer classic programs, where the shows aren't dumbed down & instead are sophisticated, where the audience is trusted to "get it".

I remember where there was a thread on the IMDB message boards regarding the movie 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles' - the discussion dealt with a part of the script that did not make it into the movie, where the wife of Steve Martin's character believes all these delays of him getting home were really excuses to cover up him cheating & she outright accuses him of it at one point & the poster goes on to say that if they hadn't read that deleted scene they would have never guessed that was the reason the wife acted very upset throughout the movie. Seriously? I picked up on that the first time I watched the damn film. It was quite obvious that she was anxious & getting suspicious after the constant excuses even though it was left unsaid & you saw the relief in her eyes when she sees John Candy's character in person.



I apologized if I sound harsh, it just annoys me that the younger generation need to be hit over the head with a concept nowadays.

Tl;dr ...That means "too long; didn't read."

Lol, jk ...That means "Laugh out loud, just kidding." Why do all these old farts need everything explained to them? Beats me.

Questions are fine no matter what your age is.

And as for the word "cross" and whether it is used more by Brits when it comes to the meaning of "irritable," here, let me Google that for you:

Notice I never said it was exclusively a British word. Jeez, people and their reading comprehension these days!

You should probably calm down and put a little more Metamucil in the water next time. JK! Everything will be okay.

[Angeleen109]

An example of the word 'cross' being used very recently in the July 24, 2017 issue of the American magazine 'Closer'.

[visaman666]

As for their ages, Jack was in the Navy. He wasn't in Nam, but one could believe he was, so if he did one six year hitch, then enrolled in cookery school, in 1975, he would be at least 24, assuming that he was drafted in 1969 at age 18. If he had done 2 hitches, he would have been 30. As for the girls, they were working at respectable jobs, so they would have been at least 22, perhaps older.

[Angeleen109]

Firstly, to assume I'm old because of my knowledge of grammar/vocabulary/literature, demonstrates your level of ignorance.

Secondly, I don't need your explanations of inane texting abbreviations, I was born in 1982 & understand them quite well & use them often for casual messaging, thank you. However, I find the younger generation (that I'm a part of LOL) relies heavily on their usage of them & that is probably a contributing factor as to why people these days lack an extensive vocabulary.

Furthermore, I'm far from impressed by someone who knows the definition of "LOL" - seriously?!? Even IF I didn't know the meaning of texting abbreviations, it'd be the last thing I'd be embarrassed by. Honestly, I'd actually be proud NOT knowing the definitions of something so inane as that LMAO


Thirdly, as you said, questions ARE fine no matter what age you are...........but so is having basic common sense & having the ability to read between the lines.

Lastly, I guess your reading comprehension skills missed the part where I apologized for being harsh. Oh, that's right I forgot, my post was "TL DR".


I think instead of Metamucil, I'll down a RedBull instead

Stop trying to start static & quit being a snowflake!

[JackJanetChrissy]

Originally Posted by Angeleen109

Firstly, to assume I'm old because of my knowledge of grammar/vocabulary/literature, demonstrates your level of ignorance.

Secondly, I don't need your explanations of inane texting abbreviations, I was born in 1982 & understand them quite well & use them often for casual messaging, thank you. However, I find the younger generation (that I'm a part of LOL) relies heavily on their usage of them & that is probably a contributing factor as to why people these days lack an extensive vocabulary.

Furthermore, I'm far from impressed by someone who knows the definition of "LOL" - seriously?!? Even IF I didn't know the meaning of texting abbreviations, that'd be the last thing I'd be embarrassed by. Actually, I'd be proud NOT knowing the definitions of something so inane as that LMAO


Thirdly, as you said, questions ARE fine no matter what age you are...........but so is having basic common sense & having the ability to read between the lines.

Lastly, I guess your reading comprehension skills missed the part where I apologized for being harsh. Oh, that's right I forgot, my post was "TL DR".


I think instead of Metamucil, I'll down a RedBull instead

Stop trying to start static & quit being a snowflake!

I don't know, Dad, I think you might need to add some prune juice to that Red Bull. And, um...you realize that if you were born in 1982 that you are, in fact, a millennial? And that when you make negative generalizations about a group you statistically belong to, you include yourself in the negative generalization? Good luck with life, bud.

As I mentioned before, I did not and am not disputing that it is used in America. I said "cross" is more common in everyday British language.

Also, the snippet of the article you posted is quoting Lucille Ball (b. 1911) using the word "cross." This is only more proof that while "cross" IS used by Americans, it's an increasingly archaic term for American usage. I bet you would be hard-pressed to find a more recent usage by a contemporary American in casual conversation.

To close, here is some more proof for you, unless dictionaries are snowflakes, too (and by "snowflake" I can only conclude you mean "someone/something that is correct and therefore really annoying").

Have a relaxing day.

[Angeleen109]

Wow!! I'm a milennial?! Thanks for enlightening me. I obviously know I'm a milennial by the sentence I wrote, which read, "However, I find the younger generation (that I'm a part of LOL).....". Guess your reading comprehension missed that sentence.

And for your further edification, you can belong to a group & be self aware enough to criticize the troubles & problems of it to further improve upon it. That's like saying someone is unAmerican if they oppose certain laws of the government. You can be a part of a group & at the same time be critical of it & where you see it going wrong.

As far as the word 'cross' being archaic, aside from the Lucille Ball quote, I've read articles in 'Time' magazine 2 weeks ago (2017) that described a politician being 'cross' during a debate - so, WRONG again. And the picture attached is from a 2012 American publication where the word 'cross' is used. And if you did a search in Google books you'd find many other modern American books that use the word 'cross' in the definition we're referencing. So not sure what your dictionary excerpt is supposed to prove, when obviously it's used countless times in current American literature & media.

& as far as calling me 'DAD' (I'm a 'MOM' actually, dear) & telling me to drink my prune juice, that's ok, I care about what you think of me as much as I care about the toilet paper I wipe my butt with. I'm not ashamed of my intelligence or of sounding educated. I'd prefer to be ridiculed with the lame insults you come up with than to sound like a fool who thinks it's an achievement to know the definitions of text abbreviations. I'd rather chug a gallon of prune juice than be on that level of dumb.


Best regards!! (Having a glass of Sunsweet in your honor!! Bottom's up!! )

[JackJanetChrissy]

Originally Posted by Angeleen109

Wow!! I'm a milennial?! Thanks for enlightening me. I obviously know I'm a milennial by the sentence I wrote, which read, "However, I find the younger generation (that I'm a part of LOL).....". Guess your reading comprehension missed that sentence.

And for your further edification, you can belong to a group & be self aware enough to criticize the troubles & problems of it to further improve upon it. That's like saying someone is unAmerican if they oppose certain laws of the government. You can be a part of a group & at the same time be critical of it & where you see it going wrong.

As far as the word 'cross' being archaic, aside from the Lucille Ball quote, I've read articles in 'Time' magazine 2 weeks ago (2017) that described a politician being 'cross' during a debate - so, WRONG again. And the picture attached is from a 2012 American publication where the word 'cross' is used. And if you did a search in Google books you'd find many other modern American books that use the word 'cross' in the definition we're referencing. So not sure what your dictionary excerpt is supposed to prove, when obviously it's used countless times in current American literature & media.

& as far as calling me 'DAD' (I'm a 'MOM' actually, dear) & telling me to drink my prune juice, that's ok, I care about what you think of me as much as I care about the toilet paper I wipe my butt with. I'm not ashamed of my intelligence or of sounding educated. I'd prefer to be ridiculed with the lame insults you come up with than to sound like a fool who thinks it's an achievement to know the definitions of text abbreviations. I'd rather chug a gallon of prune juice than be on that level of dumb.

That screenshot you included is from the book Children of the Archbishop by Norman Collins.

Norman Collins was a British writer. That book was published in 1951.

Thanks for playing, Mom.

Have a great day!