Ten years ago or so I wrote about the family nemesis, Dicky Purdy. Newer Spo-fans may find this amusing as he’s been much on my mind as I am planning a family gift.
When my father and his brother were boys, their father would ask his sons (as fathers do) to take out the trash or mow the lawn -now. As sons do they promised their dad they would do it, but not right now. “Oh fine,” Grandpa Spo would say, “I’ll get Dicky Purdy to do it”. The Purdys lived down the street, and their son Richard was either a very good boy who always did what his father asked him to do or he was a bit ‘slow’. Whatever he really was they boy was the bludgeon to bop on Father’s and Uncle’s heads to get them up and going. Sometimes they did a job of which Grandfather would find fault. “Dicky Purdy could have done this better!” which supports the hypothesis he was a bit of a dimwit.
You can see where this is going. My brothers and I along with our cousins all grew up with our fathers conjuring the demon that is Dicky Purdy to get our lead-butts moving. Dicky Purdy (whom none of us have ever met) is passed down from generation to generation. Once I asked the nephews Thing One and Thing Two if they have ever heard of Dicky Purdy. Rolling their eye and replying with a touch of rancor, oh yes, they have heard of Dicky Purdy – frequently – and if they ever should meet the man they would pummel him.
I remember once meeting up with my cousins at an airport but could not find them, when I heard over the speaker “Dicky Purdy! Dicky Purdy! Your party is waiting for you at Gate B3!” where I went to meet up with my cackling cousins.
Kat, my future ex-wife, recently opened a T-shirt business. I’ve asked her to make a dozen shirts which I plan to surprise all my brothers, my cousins, and their children.
I hope they like it.
32 comments
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February 20, 2021 at 7:02 AM
David Godfrey
Family Fun! The shirts sound like a scream.
February 20, 2021 at 9:22 AM
Urspo
I hope they get a laugh; some of us would rather not hear his name every again.
February 20, 2021 at 7:36 AM
anne marie in philly
hee hee hee! does your future ex-wife have an online shop?
February 20, 2021 at 9:22 AM
Urspo
I will ask her.
February 20, 2021 at 8:05 AM
Moving with Mitchell
Your “future ex-wife”? I’m confused. Dicky Purdy! What a name.
February 20, 2021 at 9:24 AM
Urspo
Our favorite bartender ‘Kat” often refers to some of the women in the videos as her “future ex-wife”. I once asked her if I can be her future ex-husband and she said yes! I think I am #8 on her list.
February 20, 2021 at 8:12 AM
Debra She Who Seeks
Family in-jokes are hilarious and this one is great! Be thankful his name wasn’t Purdy Dick.
February 20, 2021 at 9:24 AM
Urspo
oh the embarrassment if that were so.
February 20, 2021 at 8:17 AM
wickedhamster
Most entertaining!
February 20, 2021 at 9:24 AM
Urspo
I am glad you enjoyed it so.
February 20, 2021 at 8:34 AM
Sam
This is so fun, and the t-shirts are gold!
February 20, 2021 at 9:25 AM
Urspo
I think so too.
February 20, 2021 at 9:28 AM
edyjournal
Great read for a laid-back Saturday morning. …Dick Purdy is a legend!
February 20, 2021 at 9:29 AM
Urspo
He sure is in our family. I’ve often wondered if he was still around (he would be my father’s age) and what he was really like as a boy. I wouldn’t be surprised there was nothing special about him.
February 20, 2021 at 10:21 AM
Todd Gunther
In the phone book he would be listed as Purdy, Dickley. Just sayin’….
February 21, 2021 at 6:03 AM
Urspo
Dear me!
February 20, 2021 at 10:37 AM
Lori
What a great family ‘tradition’. The gift is sure to be a winner.
February 21, 2021 at 6:03 AM
Urspo
Let us hope so!
February 20, 2021 at 11:13 AM
Jennifer
I love the airport story! Poor old Dicky Purdy, the butt of a family joke for decades now!
February 21, 2021 at 6:04 AM
Urspo
I wonder how far down the line the Dicky Purdy comment will endure, perhaps longer than the generations remember ‘why’
February 20, 2021 at 12:43 PM
Parnassus
My mother’s family had a somewhat similar story. They had a neighbor named Mr. Gerrish, and whenever they needed to criticize each other, they added, “Mr. Gerrish wouldn’t tell you.” (For example, “That coat looks awful on you–Mr. Gerrish wouldn’t tell you.”) The implication was that, unlike Mr. Gerrish, the family member really cared about them, but I bet that the real Mr. Gerrish was about as popular in their family as Master Purdy was in yours.
–Jim
February 21, 2021 at 6:04 AM
Urspo
Yes that sounds like a Dicky Purdy type; perhaps they are related on the mother’s side.
February 20, 2021 at 12:54 PM
Old Lurker
It is good of you to keep your future ex-wife financially afloat during these COVIDy times.
February 21, 2021 at 6:05 AM
Urspo
The bar was literally shut for six months and some of my favorite staff are no more. I miss them.
February 20, 2021 at 4:56 PM
Robert
Such fun 🤗
February 21, 2021 at 6:05 AM
Urspo
Jolly good fun !
February 21, 2021 at 2:39 PM
Robzilla, Native of Slam Diego
That is hilarious. We didn’t have Dicky Purdy in my family. My father had a belt. We learned quickly not to have that happen more than once.
February 21, 2021 at 4:28 PM
Urspo
Some of us joke the belt would have been less cutting than the specter of Dicky Purdy
February 21, 2021 at 3:09 PM
usstorageunit
Oh my goodness that is hilarious
February 21, 2021 at 4:29 PM
Urspo
Spos have been laughing at Mr. Purdy for many generations. Poor sod. I hope he had a good life.
February 21, 2021 at 5:51 PM
Pipistrello
Ho! We never had a Dicky Purdy, but in the food department we were always chastened with the reminder of the Poor Starving Biafrans. If Dicky Purdy was a boy scout he deserved every badge whether he earned them or not!
February 22, 2021 at 10:07 AM
Urspo
I must learn more about these Biafrans !