Biff and Chip - who knew?

[Mominatrix]

Despite having gone through the ORT twice, I never picked up on this. Why was I never told?

I didn’t know they were twins, but I had realised Biff was a girl.

I remember being told this by my Year 1 teacher!

I also thought Kipper was the dog!

Agree with PP, the dog is called Floppy.

I loved these books. But they did rewrite history with Biff’s full name. Ghastly mistake.

We should do a Biff, Chip and Kipper grown up thread. Sort of like the later Adrian Mole books.

As a teacher, I thought they'd only chosen those names due to the graphemes contained within them.

Maybe, but maybe not. The first books came out in 1986 but phonics only really became a thing in the UK with the national literacy strategy in 1998.

Wow! Never knew this, can't wait to tell dc when they wake up.

I'm glad someone mentioned Barbara - thought I was going mad. I definitely remember her as Barbara.

I did not know that but now I am discombobulated with the Elizabeth/ Barbara controversy. Has the magic key begun to glow?
Oh and Floopy was the dog you eejits not Kipper.

This is all news to me. I did wonder why the ridiculous names.

So why was floppy called floppy. Any ideas? I have some but they’re rather rude.

I love the fact we have been forced to read these books, more then once for many of us. And we have know nothing about them.

I love these stories. I knew Chip was called David but surely Charles makes more sense?
My favourite one is when the go swimming and Kipper has lost his trunks so they buy new ones and of course he has been wearing them under his jeans all along!

I want Roger Red Hat secret info, I'm too old for this nonsense.

Well biff was the usual slang word for vagina when I was a kid

The Biff and Kipper books are really outdated. I had to explain a few things to the children I help read at school. Then I realised how outdated they are.

The magic key books are the best. They are better than most for helping children understand our really confusing language.

We had an inset day at work years ago with the illustrator and he too said that Biff was Barbara. He also said that they were given nicknames as it then didn't link them too strongly to a particular place, era or social class. (Yes, I'm aware of the flaws in that argument, just quoting what he said...)

Maybe, but maybe not. The first books came out in 1986 but phonics only really became a thing in the UK with the national literacy strategy in 1998.

Thats funny as I was taught to read using Phonics in the 1970s, admittedly my cousins of the same age in a different school were taght using "whole words method".

I knew this, having worked in schools for several years. Though there are two conflicting background stories re Biff - some say Barbara and some say Elizabeth. The latter seems to make more sense though.

Yes I knew. I have a 5 year old so Buff and Chip are constant in our house! We get a lot of Wilf and Wilma their mates as well. The dog is definitely Floppy. Ds is obsessed with the dog! I think it's called Floppy because it flops around the house when tired?

Biff not Buff!

Last night Floppy won the family a ticket to a hotel in Spain! But of course the dad messed up. I won’t spoil if for those who don’t know the ending.

I sort of knew. I had no idea they’d changed Biff’s name from Barbara to Elizabeth though. Thank gif other people remember being Barbara though.

I remember Biff being Barbara too!

I thought Kipper was Christopher.