Twikker
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a7/Twikker_1991.png/220px-Twikker_1991.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/63/Twikker_1961.jpg/220px-Twikker_1961.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/51/Twikker_1995.jpg/220px-Twikker_1995.jpg)
Twikker was the
('Twikker' is also the name of a rock climb in Derbyshire, first climbed (and therefore named) by a member of the Sheffield University Mountaineering Club.[1][2])
Sheffield Rag first produced a magazine in 1926, named "The Star", and by 1928, 85,000 copies were sold.
It is possible to follow the taste, or lack of it, of humour over the years through its content. Many jokes from the 1930s to 1950s were lacking in sexual innuendo but were casually racist and sexist by today's standards. Since the 1960s jokes were much 'nearer the knuckle'. In the 1980s racism and sexism were dropped or bowdlerised (e.g. Irish jokes became jokes about Mechanical Engineers). A particular example from 1939 is notable: "Advice to Hitler – Don't be vague, ask for Prague"[6] (a reference to the Munich agreement and the advertising tagline for Haig scotch). Present-day inclusion of Adolf Hitler in humour is widely considered beyond the pale, and was notably absent from post-war Twikkers.
The intention was generally to make the content as racy as possible, to boost sales, but at the risk of being banned: Twikker 1938 was withdrawn after leading churchmen complained of its 'obscenity'.
Notable contributors
Hans Kornberg was the editor in 1947.[14]
The 1991 cover was created by D'Israeli.[15]
Forewords have been written by Michael Palin,[16] Andy Hamilton[17] and Miles Kington[18] in addition to the traditional Lord Mayor's foreword.
References and notes
- ^ UK Climbing forums
- ^ Rockfax database
- ^ a b c Your University, The Magazine for Alumni and Friends of the University of Sheffield, 2006/2007, page 2, column 3
- ^ The Cambridge University Library has copies back to 1930 Catalogue entry online. Accessed 1/11/06. and lists, in their handwritten catalogue, uncollected issues back to 1925.
- ^ Twikker, 1943
- ^ Twikker, 1939
- ^ Twikker, 1990, p45; account by the 1938 editor.
- ^ a b Your University, The Magazine for Alumni and Friends of the University of Sheffield, 2005/2006 page 18-19]
- ^ Annual Report to Information Services Committee, 8 November 2000; 8.3, page 8) (The University of Sheffield Library)
- ^ Twikker, 1990, p50; account by the 1951 editor.
- ^ Ragout (1950) - available with the collected Twikkers at copyright libraries such as Cambridge University.
- ^ Twikker, 1990, p63; Reprinted letter from Sheffield Telegraph 29 October 1959 'Twikker? I burned mine'.
- ^ Your University, The Magazine for Alumni and Friends of the University of Sheffield, 2006/2007, p. 3, column 2
- ^ Twikker, 1947
- ^ Twikker, 1991 and
- ^ Twikker, 1985
- ^ Twikker, 1988
- ^ Twikker, 1990