Mollie Sugden, the actor who played Mrs Slocombe, the "pussy"-referencing shop matron in Are You Being Served has passed away in England, ages 86.

Mrs Slocombe was possibly the most fabulous and fusty shop girl ever invented. She was forever late to her counter at Grace Brothers due to some pussy-related incident. Her pussy needed defrosting, her pussy was wet, her pussy had been locked up for eight hours. One time, her neighbour had to drop a sardine through her slot because her pussy was hungry! Owww! Double, neigh, quadruple entrendre. The joke never got tired, or at least, the show's writers never tired of weaving it into Slocombe's dialogue in every episode. It's a wonder that she didn't die earlier of boredom. Enjoy the heavy laugh track on this sample:


Slocombe wore an ever-changing rainbow of hairpieces that you never see on staff at David Jones or Myer, to their shame. Plus she was usually drunk on gin and regularly told customers "where to go". Though like all good shop bitches, her crabiness gets her mysteriously promoted.



Department store-based comedies are few on the ground these days, but comedic service isn't. Last year, Janice Breen-Burns the fashion editor at The Age wrote a piece on the fusty and strangely old-fashioned service you can get at Myer Melbourne. About how we love to shop at our the old department store, but the service was either poor or non-existent.
 
Perhaps more quips about pussies, or more ridiculous hair would improve service? What's the worst service you've ever had?