Biff and Chip - who knew?

[Mominatrix]

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

Well, I always thought Biff was short for Biffany.

I thought Biff and Chip were chimps! No wonder my friend was confused... Come to think of it they might have been Bangers and Mash so you can see why I was mixed up...

I was taught using phonics in the mid 80s (Norfolk).

I used to wind my DCs up by constantly getting the names wrong e.g. Buff & Flippy or Chiff & Flopper.
Happy times

I vaguely recall reading the book where the family first get Floppy the dog several times a few years ago when volunteering in my younger DC's reception class and I think the dog is given the name Floppy due to his ears.

@Mominatrix I've just seen the exact same picture 4 hours before you posted this on a parents whatsapp group 😉😁

The only thing that keeps me sane when reading another Biff Chip and Kipper book with the DCs is thinking of the brilliant pisstakes by I Know, I Need To Stop Talking.

There is a book series called kipper the dog, also a tv show at one point. I think that makes it confusing to see a character called kipper and it not be the dog.

Biff was originally Barbara and there was no mention of them being twins!

I agree with the Barbara but I think they always were twins (see my photo above from the teacher’s guide). I’ve been teaching EYFS and KS1 a long time and always remember them being twins.

I always wondered why they had such horrendous names.

That has cleared it up nicely, thank you!

Maybe they thought Barbara was too dated a name which would be ironic given it is having a small but fabulous Uber- hipster comeback.

I've been through this twice (nearly on three) and never knew this. Wait until I tell DC!!!

I've been looking at these books for the last 13 years and had no idea what their real names were - although I'd guessed that Biff, Chip and Kipper were likely to be knicknames. I also didn't know that Biff and Chip were twins.

I assumed the (nick)names were used as it was unlikely any actual child reading them would have the same names - to avoid anyone being scarred for life.

I did know this
I’ve known it for about 15 years

I did know this.I’ve known it for about 15 years

You can’t have known she was called Elizabeth for 15 years though

I did wonder why they had such weird names. I’ll have to tell ds in the morning his mind will be blown.

Biff and Chip were both in Mrs May’s class so must have been twins ( or mum got upduffed again pretty quickly)

You'd be amazed how often you actually do get siblings born 9-11 months apart in a single school year.

Also, lots of schools have mixed age classes, e.g. Y1/2

Biff is a common shortening for Elizabeth.

As is Buffy (the Vampire Slayer) - my cousin. I stick to the toothless ones.

Less "common" - Lilibet. Our own dear Queen.

I'm very old so did Peter and Jane. Was it them, or Janet and John who had the dog , Pat, who always 'Looked on'?

Mind blown by Biff and Chip. Tho in my house it was always 'Who? Bloody Chipper or Biffer? The dog's called what? Kipper? No?' Etc.... 😂