In “Nudge Nudge,” the two strangers meet in a pub.
The setting is important because the scene begins as an apparently ordinary conversation between Eric Idle’s intrusive character and a customer played by Terry Jones. Sitting close to the other man, Idle asks a string of seemingly casual questions about relationships, gradually turning a familiar pub encounter into an elaborate series of sexual double entendres.
The pub provides a socially recognizable backdrop for the routine’s awkwardness. Idle’s character behaves like someone making small talk over drinks, but his questions become increasingly pointed while remaining wrapped in evasive phrases such as “nudge nudge” and “wink wink.” The other customer grows irritated because the conversation is simultaneously obvious and indirect.
The sketch was written by Eric Idle and originally appeared in the third episode of the first series of “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” in 1969. It was later included in film and live versions, helping make the catchphrases part of wider English comic usage. The location is a pub, not a train, office or shop.