History Series / KeepingUpAppearances

* GrandmaWhatMassiveHotnessYouHave: Rose, as portrayed by fiftysomething Mary Millar and her age-defying legs.

** Onslow and Daisy's children.

* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: Hyacinth's son, Sheridan, although he does eventually put in a brief and wordless appearance dressed in full motorcycle kit including face-concealing helmet.
** Their son is the [[TopGear Stig]]?
** That could also count as TheFaceless and TheGhost.

Hyacinth's other sisters, Daisy and Rose, are both much lower class, with a junked car permanently parked in their front garden. [[RunningGag A dog lives in the car and barks only at Hyacinth, causing her to fall onto a hedge]]. Daisy is a down-to-earth type rather in awe of Hyacinth's pretensions; Rose is the local BottleFairy whose sex-life provides much of the incidental comedy -- especially her crush on Hyacinth's (very married) [[TheVicar parish vicar]]. Daisy's husband, Onslow, looks like a stereotypical lazy slob, and completely ignores all his wife's amorous efforts, but over the course of the series is revealed -- in comic contrast with Hyacinth -- as an armchair philosopher often seen reading graduate-level texts. He has a sort of survivor's bond with Richard, whom he occasionally tries to "rescue."

** In England and in many parts of Europe, matronly types are quite popular amongst a number of the older men in those countries, proving that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

** In Richard's case, one gets the impression that they fell in love and married before she began her social climbing in earnest. It's also suggested (and the actor has said in interviews) that Richard is quite lazy, and appreciates having decisions made for him.

* AmusementPark: Hyacinth takes some elderly people to one for 'charitable purposes'. You're not fooling anyone Hyacinth, one glimpse of you grinning on the merry-go-round and we've learnt [[HiddenDeptsh you actually love fun fairs.]]

Hyacinth's other sisters, Daisy and Rose, are both much lower class, with a junked car permanently parked in their front garden. A dog lives in the car and barks only at Hyacinth, causing her to fall onto a hedge. Daisy is a down-to-earth type rather in awe of Hyacinth's pretensions; Rose is the local BottleFairy whose sex-life provides much of the incidental comedy -- especially her crush on Hyacinth's (very married) [[TheVicar parish vicar]]. Daisy's husband, Onslow, looks like a stereotypical lazy slob, and completely ignores all his wife's amorous efforts, but over the course of the series is revealed -- in comic contrast with Hyacinth -- as an armchair philosopher often seen reading graduate-level texts. He has a sort of survivor's bond with Richard, whom he occasionally tries to "rescue."

Hyacinth has another sister Violet who, in contrast to Daisy and Rose, is very wealthy. Hyacinth even boasts about her to guests when she is on the telephone with her ("It's my sister Violet! She's the one with the Mercedes, sauna, and room for a pony!") Despite this, Hyacinth tries to keep at bay the cross-dressing antics of Violet's turf accountant (i.e., bookmaker) husband Bruce. At first [[TheGhost an unseen character]] for most of the show, Violet physically appears a number of times in the last series.

** That could also count as TheFaceless.

-->'''Hyacinth:''' Richard! What a thing to say to someone with her own solid silver self-cleaning sauce seperator!

* CompromisingMemoirs: Rose plans to write hers in one episode. She begins by asking Daisy and Onslow how to spell 'memoirs'.

* InformedAttractiveness: All right, MOST people, male and female, find her repulsive, but an unusual number of men over the course of the series get the palm sweats over matronly, post-menopause Hyacinth. It's usually Major Wilton Smythe, whose advances Hyacinth tolerates to some extent because he's very-well-connected-socially. RuleOfFunny, really, and usually Lampshaded.

** Any man evidently attracted to Hyacinth (like Major and Admiral) seems to be a cross between a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}, DirtyOldMan and AnythingThatMoves.

* JustEatGilligan: For some reason, it's never an option to just refuse to do whatever Hyacinth says. When Hyacinth ignores a "No", the characters appear resigned to obey her.

** Hyacinth gets spooked by Onslow and Daisy's dog and falls into a hedge. This was [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in one episode where she creeps past the car, expecting the dog, which instead startles her from a front window of the house.

** Hyacinth is chased by varying amorous men and later ponders they haven't "seen an attractive woman for quite a long time".

* MacGuffin: The infamous "Candelight Suppers" are never shown in all there glory underway. In a few episodes we see Hyacinth preparing food and her dining room for them but the actual event is never shown. Much of what drives Hyacinth's schemes and postering up the social ladder revolve around inviting someone to one of these events

* StepfordSmiler: Hyacinth.

* CampStraight: Emmet. Catty, terribly fey, organises the local musicals...very appreciative of Rose's 'friendly legs'.

** Give Richard credit too, for living with Hyacinth.

* InformedAttractiveness: All right, MOST people, male and female, find her repulsive, but an unusual number of men over the course of the series get the palm sweats over matronly, middle-aged Hyacinth. It's usually Major Wilton Smythe, whose advances Hyacinth tolerates to some extent because he's very-well-connected-socially. RuleOfFunny, really, and usually Lampshaded.

* RunningGag: Hyacinth getting spooked by Onslow and Daisy's dog and falling into a hedge. Also people calling her house to order Chinese food, thinking they called the Chinese Takeaway (they have the same number as Hyacinth's, but one digit removed).
** The case with the dog was [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in one episode where she creeps past the car, expecting the dog, which instead startles her from a front window of the house.

* TheUnpronounceable: Rose's Polish fiance.
** Whom Rose, Daisy, and Onslow had to call him "Mr. Whatsit."

** In Richard's case, one gets the impression that they fell in love and married before she began her social climbing in earnest.
*** It's also suggested (and the actor has said in interviews) that Richard is quite lazy, and appreciates having decisions made for him.
* WomenAreWiser: Inverted; Richard is a lot nicer, more practical and likable than Hyacinth.

* InformedAttractiveness: All right, MOST people, male and female, find her repulsive, but an unusual number of men over the course of the series get the palm sweats over matronly, middle-aged Hyacinth. It's usually the Major, whose advances Hyacinth tolerates to some extent because he's very-well-connected-socially. RuleOfFunny, really, and usually Lampshaded.

** Any man evidently attracted to Hyacinth (like Major and Admiral) seems to be a cross between a {{Cl

** Any man evidently attracted to Hyacinth (like Major and Admiral) seems to be a cross between a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}, DirtyOldMan and AnythingThatMoves.
* InsaneTrollLogic: Hyacinth's social-climbing attempts and rationales can sometimes take on this edge. She once asked Richard to smile while doing the gardening so that if any people she was trying to impress happened to drop by they'd assume that they could afford a gardener but choose not to because Richard enjoyed it so much.
* {{Irony}}: All of Hyacinth's upper-class "friends" much prefer her poorer relatives to her.
* IronyAsSheIsCast: Patricia Routledge has been in many musicals, and can sing. Hyacinth is terrible at singing.
* {{It Is Pronounced Tro-PAY}}: It's not 'Bucket', it's 'Bouquet'.
* {{Jerkass}}: Hyacinth.
** She does veer into JerkWithAHeartOfGold terriotory, albeit very rarely. The 1991 ChristmasEpisode is a good example, in which she invites all her friends and family around for a party, regardless of their social status.
*** For all her oppressive treatment of Richard, she does [[WellIntentionedExtremist at least mean well usually]] and treats him an affectionate demeanor despite her demands. [[StopHelpingMe Naturally, this usually only came to bite Richard in the back]] (for example, she turned down a high potential job opportunity because she didn't have the heart to leave him at home all alone, he is coherently sobbing). She also is shown to have a resented love for her slobbish relatives (particularly 'Daddy').
* JustEatGilligan: For some reason, it's never an option to just refuse to do whatever Hyacinth says. When Hyacinth ignores a "No", the characters appear resigned to obey her.
** It gets turned into a running gag when Emmet tries to coach Liz into refusing coffee. She's ''just. that. SCARY.''
* LargeHam: Most of the women, especially Hyacinth.
* LazyBum: Onslow and Daisy.
* MoodWhiplash: Hyacinth shops for a second car. A crime thriller [[HilarityEnsues ensues]]. Hyacinth tries to help her sister fix her marriage. A foot chase ensues. Her father is often disoriented, playful, and prone to fainting, and once takes the Bucket car for a drive in the country. An enormous car chase ensues. Hyacinth goads Richard into repairing some electrics and babysits dogs. The dogs run away when the church is turned into a virtual war zone and explodes.
* NoAccountingForTaste: Hyacinth could more-than-conceivably have married Richard for the slight class upgrade, but what he thought ''he'' was getting is a mystery.
* OhCrap: "It's that Bucket woman!"
* TheOtherDarrin: Rose was played by Shirley Stelfox in the first series and then by Mary Millar in all later series.
* PercussiveMaintenance: Onslow and Daisy turn their TV on and off by giving it a whack on the top.
** More impressively, Daisy once changed the channel this way.
* ReallyGetsAround: Rose.
-->'''Hyacinth''': It's indecent. A skirt should go to the floor.
-->'''Onslow''': Bet that skirt's gone to the floor a few times.
* ReluctantRetiree: Richard Bucket, mostly because he'll then have to spend more time with his wife.
** One of the jokes in the pilot is people congratulating Richard on his upcoming retirement... only to then immediately switch to condolences as they realize what this'll mean for him.
* RepeatingSoTheAudienceCanHear: Hyacinth's phone conversations.
* RunningGag: Hyacinth getting spooked by Onslow and Daisy's dog and falling into a hedge. Also people calling her house to order Chinese food, thinking they called the Chinese Takeaway (they have the same number as Hyacinth's, but one digit removed).
** The case with the dog was [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in one episode where she creeps past the car, expecting the dog, which instead startles her from a front window of the house.
* ShesGotLegs: Emmett's description of Rose: "The one with the friendly legs."
* ShipTease: Richard and Elizabeth might have been much happier people if they'd married each other.
* ASimplePlan: Hyacinth's attempts at raising her social status.
* SingleTargetSexuality: Another interpretation of Daisy's attraction to Onslow: despite the odd flourish here and there, she never shows any indication that she even finds other men ''attractive'' let alone possessing the desire to leave her pretty neglectful husband.
* StepfordSmiler: Hyacinth.
* StuffBlowingUp: A church blows up, and in another scene, the aftermath of a long-ago car repair session is treated as the aftermath of a recent silent explosion.
* ThemeNaming: Hyacinth and her sisters are all named for flowers. Is that why she [[FridgeBrilliance insists on pronouncing it "Bouquet"?]]
* TheThreeCertaintiesInLife: One gag compared being invited to one of Hyacinth Buck... err... [[{{It Is Pronounced Tro-Pay}} Bouquet's]] candlelight suppers to the inevitability of death and taxes.
* TheUnpronounceable: Rose's Polish fiance.
** Whom Rose, Daisy, and Onslow had to call him "Mr. Whatsit."
** And Mrs. Thing.
* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: Hyacinth. Big time. Although her relatives are by all accounts [[LazyBum lazy slobs]], they look like saints in comparison.
* TheVicar: Michael the vicar, who is terrified of both Hyacinth and Rose.
** "It's the Bucket woman!"
* WhatDoesSheSeeInHim: This is Hyacinth's attitude towards Daisy and Onslow. However, it's probably more applicable to her marriage to Richard, as an inversion.
** In Richard's case, one gets the impression that they fell in love and married before she began her social climbing in earnest.
*** It's also suggested (and the actor has said in interviews) that Richard is quite lazy, and appreciates having decisions made for him.
* WomenAreWiser: Inverted; Richard is a lot nicer, more practical and likable than Hyacinth.
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* FridgeLogic: Why are the sisters [[ThemeNaming Theme Named]] after flowers, if "Bouquet" (Bucket) is ''Richard'''s surname?