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Referring to Mr. Bob de Lany's criticism of your use of the word "whop" [TIME, Sept. 13], and your query as to whether readers agree with this gentleman.
A little over a year ago while crossing a street in San Francisco, an automobile came around the corner striking me from the rear and putting me through a perfect somersault. I did not have the slightest idea as to what happened until I came to in the street some moments later, in rather a bloody and dirty mess. In relating this incident afterwards—it seems that we must all tell of our operations and accidents—I have stated that there is only one word that can describe the sensation and that was one from the comic strip, namely: "WHAM."
Therefore, I am inclined to go along with TIME'S description of the airplane accident as "whop!," admitting at the same time that my opinion can be disqualified as I am more familiar with "whams" than "whops."
HAROLD K. CRANE
San Francisco, Calif.
Sirs:
. . . I think your description of the crash at Daytona was a commendable try. One thing that might have confused Reader de Lany was the lapse of too much reading time between the whop, crash, and smash. Now (ahem) if you had written it thus: "Suddenly, just after the big transport had drummed some 25 ft. above the highway . . ., there was a rending crack! whop! smash! as the ship slammed full tilt into a pine power pole, as the motors ripped out and fell and the rest of the plane bashed into a palmetto thicket"—.
SIDNEY S. DONER
Escondido, Calif.
Sirs:
With regard to the "Whop, Crack, Smash" article, I heartily agree with Mr. de Lany.
ELTON ROSEN
N. Easton, Mass.
Sirs:
. . . Yours for more vivid descriptions but less motors on Douglas planes.
WM. T. BAILEY
Kansas City, Kans.
TIME'S Letters Editor herewith gives himself a richly merited rebuke for an unpardonable anachronism. Since the Model S Stinson, few commercial passenger ships have been trimotored.
—ED.
Staggs Split
Sirs:
On pp. 90 and 92 of your Sept. 6 issue I have read the account of the award of the top prizes in the recent Old Gold contest. Is it not true that William R. Staggs, winner of the first prize of $100,000, had to split this prize with his contest partner, Addison Pound Jr., of Gainesville, Fla.?
DEVEREUX BACON JR.
Tampa, Fla.
Cadet Naval Aviator Staggs split his prize not two ways but five ways. He, Pound, J. D. Lamade, Joe Jaaps and W. S. Pye, all Navy men, had agreed that if any of them won the $100,000 he would share it with the others.—ED.
Persistent
Sirs:
Concerning my letter and your flip reply published in TIME, Sept. 13, may I point out that you have fallen into the understandable error of confusing barretry with barratry. I refer you to Funk and WagnalPs Standard Unabridged Dictionary, where you will find the following:
"Barretry: The offense of exciting lawsuits; the bringing of suits in the name of fictitious plaintiffs, or without a real person's consent; also, the stirring up of quarrels, spreading false rumors of evil import, thus disturbing the public peace; commonly confounded with barratry."