h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My first recollection of chinning comes from the early-90s (possibly late 80s), when I'm almost certain the act of chinning accompanied Ray's sarcastic comments in 'The Mary Whitehouse Experience'. Ray suffered from a chronic case of permanent and involuntary sarcasm - which sometimes boiled down to a vigourous case of 'chinning'.

The Apprentice

I'd agree with that, specifically from the Newman and Baddiel half of the Experience. Rob Newman played "Ray" on TV and David Baddiel his psychiatrist. They continued these characters over into Newman and Baddiel's own "History Today" tour, which I saw on stage around 1991. I've just checked and I still have the video they later brought out of this tour which is dated 1992. Ray was a well established characer by then and is featured on the cover too.

I can categorically state that Ray was NOT the origin of chinning, not least because I remember chinning from my years in primary school in the 1970s.

I think what's happened is that Newman and Baddiel - also at school in the 70s and also no doubt chinning at that time - were the first people to do it on the telly. Which does tend to suggest that the practice actually must have started in the late 60s or early 70s.

SoRB

I wouldn't have imagined the Ray character originated the practice - just the first time I ever saw it.



The Apprentice