Original artwork, not a still
Smoke me a kipper, I’ll be back for breakfast.
— Red Dwarf · 1988
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is a 1930s flying-ace cliché that Ace means completely, which is the joke and the charm: the one Rimmer who is everything the real one is not, breezily promising breakfast while setting off on a one-way trip. Heard later, it carries an edge, because every Ace eventually dies and passes the line on. Red Dwarf fans still greet each other with it.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Red DwarfShow the scene
The catchphrase comes from "Dimension Jump", the fifth episode of Red Dwarf Series IV, first shown on BBC2 on 14 March 1991. Ace Rimmer is the alternate-universe version of Arnold Rimmer who got the break the original never did: a dashing, modest Space Corps test pilot. The episode opens on Mimas with Ace volunteering to test Wildfire, a ship that can cross dimensions, knowing he can never come home. He says goodbye to his friends with the kipper line, then flies off to meet the crew of Red Dwarf.
Sources (2)
- Red Dwarf Wiki: Dimension Jump (episode)Header and OverviewReference checked
- Red Dwarf Wiki: Ace RimmerIntro and BiographyReference checked
Context reviewed
