Phrases & SayingsYouth, popular and digital cultureCatchphrase
a cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down
Also: a cup of tea, a Bex, and a good lie down
A humorous prescription for calming down or coping with a problem.
In a sentence
After the argument, Gran prescribed a cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down.
Where it came from
The saying became famous through a 1965 revue by John McKellar, drawing on the once-common Bex headache powder. It survives humorously although Bex was withdrawn from sale after health concerns.
- Initial era
- 1950–1999
- Where used
- Australian use; no narrower regional pattern established
- Use today
- Remembered; culturally dated