Original artwork, not a still
Would you believe two cops in a rowboat?
— Get Smart ‧ 1965
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The joke is a bluff that deflates in stages: Max keeps lowering the number until the threat becomes absurd, and he never quite drops the confidence. It captures the character, a bumbling agent who survives on nerve, and it became the standard way of saying fine, a smaller claim then. Fans still use it in everyday talk.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Get SmartShow the scene
Get Smart (NBC, 1965): secret agent Maxwell Smart of CONTROL is nothing if not confident, and "Would you believe...?" is his method of retreating from a bluff by lowering the number. The canonical early instance is in the pilot, "Mr. Big", which aired on September 18, 1965 (written by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry). Meeting the tiny crime boss, Max claims seven Coast Guard cutters are converging on the place, then tries six, then offers two cops in a rowboat. The routine recurs through the series as one of its best-known catchphrases.
Sources (3)
- Wikiquote: Get SmartSeason 1, 'Mr Big' [1.1]Reference checked
- Wikipedia: Mr. Big (Get Smart)Infobox and leadReference checked
- Wikipedia: Get SmartLead paragraph, catchphrasesReference checked
Context reviewed
