There has been much coverage of the competing claims of biologist Richard Dawkins and comedian Peter Kay for this month's Galaxy British Book Awards. Dawkins has been nominated for The God Delusion, and Kay for The Sound of Laughter.
But there has been much less about Kay's line in Phoenix Nights: "Garlic bread - it's the future, I've tasted it," which was named best one-liner in television comedy in a poll last year.
Was it a worthy winner? Some of my colleagues think so, others remain deeply puzzled. But there could be no better time to discuss the merits of the one-liner than this weekend which sees a performance commemorating the work of the late and much lamented Scottish comedian, Chic Murray, in a show organised by his daughter, Annabelle, as part of the Glasgow community festival.
Chic was the sultan of the one-liner and - yes - it was the way he told them. For instance:
• My girlfriend's a redhead. No hair but a red head.
• I told my wife that black underwear turned me on. She didn't wash my Y-fronts for a month.
• Went into the butcher's to buy a leg of lamb. 'Is it Scottish?' I asked. 'Why?' said the butcher. 'D'you want to talk to it or eat it?'
There are two problems in discussing one-liners. Firstly, what qualifies? Can you have a two-line one-liner? To which the answer is 'Yes, if it makes you laugh'. And, secondly, to whom does it belong? Does anyone have copyright on a one-liner?
For instance, an old joke: a man is served one of those tiny, individual pots of honey at his hotel and says to the waitress: "I see you keep a bee."
When we repeated this joke last year there were competing claims on behalf of Chic, Ronnie Scott and Jimmy Shand, the Scottish band leader. After today, there will I am sure be many more. So on this weekend of celebrating the genius of Chic Murray let us also celebrate the one-liner.
And, finally, from Chic: "Went to the doctor. He told me I only had three minutes to live. I asked if there was anything he could do for me. He said he could boil me an egg."
Yes, yes, yes, it was the way he told them.
The Essential Chic Murray is at Gilmore Hill Centre, Glasgow, on Saturday March 17 and Sunday March 18, at 8 pm. Tickets: 0141 330 5522.
