Brief Re-Encounter

"Brief Re-Encounter" is the third episode of the second season of Mind Your Language. It was first broadcast on the 21st of October 1978.

Plot
Miss Courtney is on the phone talking with Parkers to ask for bait and how successful the trout flies are as she is going to go fishing. Sid accidentally startles her as she leaves, making her drop her trout fly. They begin searching for it, but Mr. Brown finds it first and damages it, thinking it is an actual fly. Upon realising his mistake, he offers to buy her a new one.

Albert Collins, an ex-fiancé of Miss Courtney who she hasn't seen in 25 years, rings her up and says that he'll be at the school in 30 minutes. As Miss Courtney is telling Mr. Brown about Albert, Ali bursts into her office and tells them that there's "plenty trouble". Mr. Brown heads to the classroom, breaks up a fight between Max and Giovanni (who are arguing about slang expressions) and teaches the students about English conversation. A little later, Sid drops in and tells Mr. Brown that Miss Courtney is acting different. She is excited to see Albert coming, but Mr. Brown accidentally knocks a flowerpot out her office window and hits him on the head. Mr. Brown returns to the classroom to find his students reading inappropriate and irrelevant books, and gives them a quiz where anyone who gives a wrong answer is fined 10p.

Back in Miss Courtney's office, Albert tells her that he wants to marry her, but his money is currently tied up abroad. Miss Courtney offers to pay for their wedding, reception and honeymoon and let Albert reimburse her afterward, and he arranges to take her to dinner later that evening so they can finalise their plans. Sid sees him as he leaves the school, and warns Mr. Brown that Albert is actually a con artist who used to be in prison with his brother-in-law. Miss Courtney panics when Mr. Brown shares this information with her, but Mr. Brown agrees to handle it. When Albert comes back to the school, Mr. Brown and his male students confront him and tell him to go away. Albert leaves, and as Miss Courtney runs to her window to thank Mr. Brown, she knocks over a flowerpot that falls on his head.

Quotes
(Miss Courtney has dropped her fishing fly.)

Miss Courtney: I have lost my favourite fly. I had it in my hand a moment ago; I must have dropped it. Do you see it anywhere?

Sid: What does it look like?

Miss Courtney: Well, it's about 2 inches long, red and black, and it's got a curvy tail.

Sid: Perhaps it's flown out the window.

Mr. Brown: You mean you were actually engaged at one time?

Miss Courtney: Well, there's no need to sound so surprised.

(Mr. Brown breaks up a fight between Giovanni and Max.)

Mr. Brown: I will not have fighting in the class!

Danielle: Fighting? It was more like dancing!

Max: Ha! I was just warming up.

Giovanni: Yeah, me too.

Mr. Brown: Right, now tonight, I want to concentrate on English conversation - the sort of things that you have to say during the course of every day. Alright? For example, Ranjeet, where would you take a cheque?

Ranjeet: Czechoslovakia!

Mr. Brown: Juan.

Juan: Sí, señor?

Mr. Brown: If you felt ill, what would you do?

Juan: Go to bed.

Mr. Brown: But before that.

Juan: Eh, take the clothes off.

Mr. Brown: Does "avoirdupois" ring a bell now, Taro?

Taro: Yes-o! "Avoirdupois" is French for "Have you some peas-o?"

(Mr. Brown is drilling Anna on her w sounds.)

Mr. Brown: Wonderful.

Anna: Wonderful.

Mr. Brown: Uh...Wednesday.

Anna: Wednesday.

Mr. Brown: A wet weekend in winter.

Anna: Wet weekend in winter.

Mr. Brown: Very good.

Anna: (Smiling.) Wery good.

Mr. Brown: You feeling alright?

Miss Courtney: Yes, why?

Mr. Brown: You sounded as if you were in pain.

Miss Courtney: I was singing.

Ranjeet: I am reading all about Bugs the Bunny and Woody the Pecker.

Mr. Brown: Quiet! It's time you took these lessons seriously. So, before we break for tea, I'm gonna ask you each a question, and anyone who gives an incorrect answer will be fined 10p.

(The students groan.)

Mr. Brown: The money will go to charity.

Giovanni: Hey! Who's this bird Charity you give our money to?

Mr. Brown: Right, Ingrid, give me an example of a preposition.

Ingrid: Um...will you to dinner take me?

Mr. Brown: Max, uh...give me an example of a principal clause.

Max: Santa Claus.

Mr. Brown: Danielle. As handsome as a prince, as ugly as...

Danielle: (Glances at Ingrid.) ...a Swede.

(Ingrid stands up and starts yelling at Danielle; Juan restrains her.)

Mr. Brown: As ugly as sin! 10p.

Danielle: It was worth it.

(Sid is telling Mr. Brown about Albert Collins.)

Sid: He's a crook. He's a conman.

Mr. Brown: No, you must be mistaken; he's just come back from the Far East. He's been away for 20 years.

Sid: He's been away, alright, doing some porridge.

Mr. Brown: You mean he's been in prison?

Sid: He was in the nick with my brother-in-law. He's in and out of there like a fiddler's elbow.

Trivia

 * Su-Lee doesn't appear in this episode. No explanation is given for her absence.