This episode includes the first appearance of the courthouse water crock, which, while being replaced by different models, will remain off and on into the color era.
This is the episode in which Barney delivers his famous "nip it in the bud!" speech. The phrase "nip it the bud," previously appeared in "Farmer Takes a Wife," in a conversation with Thelma Lou, but it was here that the phrase became forever indelible and iconic to Barney Fife.
In this episode, one of Opie's friends is a character credited as 'Carter French.' 'Carter French' is played by Richard Keith, who also played 'Little Ricky' in I Love Lucy (1951).
After Andy lets Barney out of the jail cell, Barney tells Andy he could be "another Emmy Schmaltz." Emmy Schmaltz is the nosy, lanky, spinsterish landlady from the Moon Mullins comic strip. Moon Mullins ran from June 19, 1923 to June 2, 1991.
Barney Fife (Don Knotts) repeatedly advises Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) to "nip it in the bud." This expression derives from the de-budding of plants and indicates suppressing something, especially at an early stage. This adage is antiquated, with the earliest form of the phrase being "nip in the bloom," published in Henry Chettle's romance Piers Plainnes Seaven Yeres Prentiship (1595): "Extinguish these fond loues with minds labour and nip thy affections in the bloome, that they may neuer bee of power to budde."