What phrase from The Germans is one of Fawlty Towers' best-known quotations?

“Don't mention the war” is one of Fawlty Towers' best-known quotations, repeated by Basil Fawlty in the episode “The Germans.” The line captures Basil's attempt to control a situation that he repeatedly makes worse.

In the episode, German guests arrive at the hotel while Basil warns everyone not to discuss the Second World War. His nervous insistence has the opposite effect: the subject keeps returning, and his increasingly frantic behaviour becomes the engine of the farce. The humour comes from repetition, embarrassment and Basil's inability to follow his own instruction.

“The Germans” was the sixth and final episode of the first series, broadcast in 1975. Its title and wartime references have made it one of the programme's most discussed episodes, while the quotation itself entered everyday British comic usage.

The phrase is sometimes shortened to “Don't mention the war,” but the stored answer uses the familiar canonical wording. It should not be confused with “He's from Barcelona,” Manuel's recurring explanation for his limited English, or “A touch of class,” another phrase associated with Basil's aspirations.