This episode kicks off with one of Corrie’s oldest ever cultural references, as Bertie Osbourne’s restless night is discussed by his dad Daniel and Daisy Midgeley. Daisy mentions that the youngster hates unicorns and was probably fighting them in his sleep. The mythological monohorned creatures first appeared in Western literature in the 4th Century BC, but artworks in Asia depicted them several centuries before that. At Roy’s Rolls, Shona Platt is talking to Paul Foreman’s mum Bernie Winter about his terminal diagnosis. A tearful Shona says he recently made her laugh uncontrollably when he told a joke about Liverpool FC manager Jurgen Klopp having a sister called Klippetty (which is almost certainly the sound a unicorn would make if it were trotting along the cobbles). Bernie says Paul nicked the joke from Ken Dodd, although the Scouse comedian’s original gag said the onomatopoeic relative was Klopp’s daughter.
Spider Nugent being an undercover copper was a major revelation several months ago. The discovery that he’s a fan of Wordle doesn’t have quite the same impact. A struggling Ryan Connor gets a visit from Jenny Connor, who asks how he’s feeling. He responds with a sarcasm-sodden ‘tickety’, which has too many letters for Wordle. Tickety-boo is of uncertain origin, but some etymologists think it may be an adaptation of a Hindi phrase from the days of the British Raj. It definitely isn’t the name of anyone in Jurgen Klopp’s family, though.
Shona arrives home to find Max Turner on his own and she unleashes a barrage of questions at him. ‘What’s next? “Is it bigger than a bread bin?”’ says an irritated Max, comparing her interrogation to Twenty Questions. The game was initially popular in the United States during the 19th Century and later became a weekly radio show. Bizarrely, the bread bin query was regularly used to find the correct answer. Meanwhile, Daisy’s identity as Fake Crystal has been exposed and she can’t apologise enough to Ryan. He recalls a pertinent quote from American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou: ‘When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.’ Talk of mythical creatures pops up again at Viaduct Bistro, as Nick Tilsley and Leanne Battersby try to decide what to do about Damon Hay. Nick imagines a genie appearing and solving the problem. Adam Barlow may have his own solution – it doesn’t involve polishing a lamp like Aladdin, but it may well rub Damon up the wrong way.
Coronation Street episode 10985/86. Originally aired 21st June 2023.
