running gag / said by James
Ten pounds of murder in a two-pound bag
What does "Ten pounds of murder in a two-pound bag" mean on Small Town Murder?
James's stock description of a Small Town Murder Express episode that holds far more crime than its running time can carry: ten pounds of murder crammed into a two-pound bag. From May 2024 it opens most Express episodes, and the numbers are often raised when a story is especially packed.
- Kind
- running gag
- Usually said by
- James
- First heard
- Episode 460, 20 January 2024
The story behind the phrase
Where did "Ten pounds of murder in a two-pound bag" come from?
The earliest use in these transcripts is episode 460. After a long aside about a musician, James says "wow, do we have just 10 pounds of murder in a two pound bag this week". The line seems to be a murder-themed twist on the stock phrase about packing too much into a small bag.
It sums up the Small Town Murder Express format, which squeezes a large amount of crime into a shorter running time. When a story is especially packed, James raises the numbers or the joke, as in episode 594 where the bag "explodes when you mail it".
How is "Ten pounds of murder in a two-pound bag" used now?
By the middle of 2024 it was part of the Express opening, with James saying "like we always say for Express" and "as usual". Sometimes he repeats it as a sign-off after a particularly wild case, and it is still used in 2026.
When was "Ten pounds of murder in a two-pound bag" first said?
It was first heard in episode 460, "A Russian Doll Of Murders", on 20 January 2024, at about 0:11:58.
"Wow, do we have a just 10 pounds of murder in a two-pound bag this week?"
Mid-episode, after tearing into Lou (name covered) reputation, James says they have 'just 10 pounds of murder in a two pound bag this week'. It is a murder-themed variation on the long-running Express line about ten pounds of lightning or dynamite in a two-pound bag, adapted on the spot rather than coined from nothing; by episode 496 it is the standard Express introduction.
Heard in these episodes
Found by searching the transcripts; speech recognition can miss a use.
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