Hawkmoon mentioned Sid Caesar. Gawd, how could I have forgotten him? (AFAIK, he's still living in Queens, NY. My mother met him once or twice on this or that occasion.)
And that brought up memories of watching Ernie Kovacs. Now there was an innovator!
I still remember Cosby's bit on his father getting "...the.....Belt!"
It was 12 feet long.... and it had hooks on the end to tear the flesh from your body...
It made my mother's 12" wooden spaghetti spoon pale by comparison.
"Terr-ENCE! Get... the.. Spoon!"
<sphincter-shrink>
Terry, 230RN