“A Little Bit of Cucumber” is a comedic music-hall song written by T. W. Conner for the comedian and singer Harry Champion, who first performed it in 1915;[1] it was published that same year by Francis, Day & Hunter Ltd.[2] The song describes the types of food popular among the cockney working-class community of East London at that time. Many of the songs in Champion’s repertoire featured items of food: pickled onions, hot meat pies, saveloys, trotters, tripe, onions, and baked sheep’s heart;[3] perhaps the best known today is “Boiled Beef and Carrots”.

The song’s lyrics revolve around the culinary preferences of the working classes, and conclude by declaring the cucumber to be the preferred delicacy.[4]

Harry Champion singing “A Little Bit of Cucumber”
YouTube

References

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Bibliography

firstworldwar.com. Vintage Audio – A Little Bit of Cucumber. https://www.firstworldwar.com/audio/alittlebitofcucumber.htm.
Gammond, Peter. Your Own, Your Very Own!: A Music Hall Scrapbook. Ian Allen, 1971.
International Lyrics Playground. A Little Bit of Cucumber. https://www.lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/a/alittlebitofcucumber.html.
The English Music Hall. Harry Champion. http://www.amaranthdesign.ca/musichall/past/champ.htm.