History Radio / ImSorryIHaventAClue

* RunningGag: "Mornington Crescent" segments always start with Humph reading out the one letter they've had sent in this week, which is always from a Mrs. Trellis of North Wales, and is addressed to some other radio presenter.

--->"Opposing team captain Una Stubbs watched open-mouthed as he pulled off ''Theatre/TwelveAngryMen'' in under thirty seconds."

--> Oh yes. you've been subsisting on radio appearance fees for that thing, what was it again, ''I'm Sorry, I Haven't A Script''?

* BitingTheHand: Creator/JohnCleese, who had first become famous as part of precursor show ''Radio/ImSorryIllReadThatAgain'' and who had participated in at least the first series of [=ISIHAC=], once made the arch remark to [[Series/TheGoodies his former co-stars]]

*** Following Lionel Blair's passing, "Sound Charades" has instead invited comparisons to classical mime, often with interesting pseudo-facts about Creator/MarcelMarceau.

* IncrediblyLamePun: Many of the round introductions.
-->'''Humph''': We're now going to play a radio version of the popular TV programme, ''BlindDate''. But we're going to play the Italian version - ''Venetian Blind Date''.

* OffTheRails: Where any game of Mornington Crescent is likely to go ([[IncrediblyLamePun even though, technically, they never leave the rails]]).

** In "Late Arrivals", another HurricaneOfPuns game, if the players are having trouble coming up with names that the audience doesn't consider an IncrediblyLamePun, someone (usually Graeme) will inevitably resort to the old standby of a "Gordon Bennett"-based joke (e.g., "Mr. and Mrs. Bennett-look-at-the-size-of-that-crab, and their son Gordon Bennett-look-at-the-size-of-that-crab" at the Fisherman's Ball).

* SlapstickKnowsNoGender: In S73, episode 2, Jack Dee goes on a rampage with a paintball ''shotgun'', starting (naturally) by blasting Colin Sell. He soon starts shooting all the contestants for no reason, blasting Rachel Paris by saying he's doing so to be "inclusive".

-->'''Tim:''' I hope that's not Music/BillBailey from the last series...that'd be ''really'' sad.

*** Following Lionel Blair's passing, "Sound Charades" has instead invited comparisons to classical mime, with interesting pseudo-facts about Creator/MarcelMarceau.

Other people on the show include Colin Sell, the long-suffering pianist, and Samantha, the entirely fictional scorer, about whom many [[DoubleEntendre Double Entendres]] are made. On one occasion, Colin Sell's stand-in as duty pianist was veteran jokester musician Neil Innes, best known for ''Music/TheBonzoDogBand'' and ''Music/TheRutles''. Humph introduced him as 'a man whose royalty payments on "I'm The Urban Spaceman" have just run out', to which Innes responded with several bars of the Death March from ''Aida''.

Panellists come up with phrases that can be said in a given location (such as in the car, in the kitchen, or at a funeral), or in the bedroom. Essentially just an excuse to throw out endless DoubleEntendres. A fairly modern game, and an occasional show-closer nowadays.

Formerly known as ''New Definitions'', and renamed after a book containing the best definitions. The panellists say a word, then give a definition of the word, usually by breaking it down into smaller words or making a pun on an already-existing word. (Such as "Impolite: [[note]]Imp alight[[/note]] To set fire to a pixie.") Barry will occasionally say a word and define it as how Creator/SeanConnery would pronounce something. ("Pastiche: [[note]]pasties[[/note]] What Shean Connery eatsh in Cornwall.") Finest ever example was by Stephen Fry, who defined "Countryside" as "to kill Piers Morgan". Basically, HurricaneOfPuns at its maximum. Still played every other episode.

** And here it is:

* WereStillRelevantDammit: {{Invoked}} and PlayedForLaughs in a 2012 episode where the "laser display board" was replaced with the "conference size laser display board app".

* DreadfulMusician: What poor Colin Sell is accused of being, and what some of the panellists actually are when it comes to singing, notably the long-suffering Jeremy Hardy. In one game of "Pick-up Song" where he actually did a passable job (with "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now"), everyone reacted with shock.

** In one episode, Jack begins a segment talking about some programs using celebrities to boost their profile... then gets interrupted by the angry squeakings of Sweep (of ''Sootie'').

** In a game where one panellist had to sing the opening lines of a song whilst their teammate suggested responses that would immediately bring the song to an end, Tony Hawks sang the opening lines of "With a Little Help From My Friends", and as he reached ''"Would you stand up and walk out on me?"'', Marcus Brigstocke stood up and walked offstage. Tony immediately [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] how the joke went down brilliantly in the theatre, but wouldn't work on the radio at all.

-->'''Tim:''' Brylcreem... castanet... polyunsaturared... monastery... kilogram...

The laser display board shows the title of a work for the audience and one team. The team then performs a small, improvised sketch, typically using a contrived pun or other wordplay for the other team to guess. Nowadays, Barry and Graeme make all their sketches about two eccentric Scotsmen, Hamish and Dougal, setting up jokes and puns for each other seamlessly. One of the mainstays of the show, and still played every other episode.

One of the most long-running games. The chairman announces a ball for a certain profession, and the panellists come up with names that are puns on this profession. (Frequently taking the format of "Will you welcome, please, Mr. and Mrs. X, and their son/daughter, Y...") The Mad Scientists' Ball, for example, would have "Mr. and Mrs. Tube, and their daughter, Tess Tube" and "Mr. and Mrs. Tomicbomb, and their daughter, Anna". Graeme, if stuck for ideas, will make a "Gordon Bennett" [[note]]"Gordon Bennett" is an exclamation of surprise[[/note]] -based joke, such as "Mr. and Mrs. Bennettnotanotherflamingpartypoliticalbroadcast, and their son, Gordon". Was played in the first ever episode, and is still played occasionally as the closing game of the show, as a substitute for ''Film Club''.

** Creator/{{David Mitchell|Actor}}'s first attempt at "One Song to the Tune of Another"[[note]]"A Whiter Shade of Pale" to the theme from ''Series/TheMuppetShow''[[/note]] prompted the response of [[UpToEleven "I miss Jeremy."]]

* NoBudget: The apparent laxk of funding for the show is sometimes joked about. [[invoked]]