British humour: funny even when you don't understand it.

Hurrah, The News Quiz is back! I've been deeply disappointed that this show was off the air during the Democratic and Republican conventions and the latest round of Wall Street follies. These are times that desperately call for snark. But now they're back, and they didn't disappoint.

But there was a McCain-related line that got a huge laugh from the audience that just perplexed me. It was a little hard to make out, but I think it was, "He thinks the mercers have stolen his clothes."

Now, thinking that the textile merchants are stealing your clothes makes a nice metaphor for looking in the least likely place for the source of your problems. Which I suppose is applicable enough to McCain, or to certain Republican policies in general. But the line got such a laugh that I think it must refer to something more specific. Any clues?