Del Boy never marries. He has had many girlfriends, a fact that is the subject of numerous sarcastic comments by Rodney. He finally meets his partner Raquel Turner (whom he calls his "significant other") in the 1988 special "Dates". Del's mother Joan dies on 12 March 1964, apparently after a long string of illnesses. His lazy father Reginald leaves three months later (on Del's 16th birthday), taking most of their money and even Del's birthday cake. This leaves the teenage Del as the family's sole breadwinner, looking after his grandfather and Rodney, his half-brother who was born around thirteen years after him
Del Boy actual Cockney), Del is known for his broken French quotes, which are usually completely out of context, and a variety of catchphrases, including: "He who dares, wins!", "This time next year we'll be millionaires", "Lovely Jubbly!", "You know it makes sense" (which he usually says to his customers after they have agreed on a deal) and “Shut up you tart” and "You plonker!”, usually said to Rodney. Del Boy is a happy-go-lucky, cheeky character. While not always successful, his general optimism and confidence often persuade people to believe in him. From the sixth series on, he adopts some of the