Irritations

[Ms Diddles]

Irritated that debate about Francis Thompson has not only dominated all current threads but has insinuated itself into the irritations thread.

I completely agree, Gazza!

[Doctored Whatsit]

He was incredulous at my ignorance, so I explained that it seemed to me that our American cousins took everyday words like go or get or make, added a preposition like up, down, on, off, in or out, and bingo it meant whatever you want it to mean.

Seeing as how the Brits came up with Cockney rhyming slang they are probably in no position to be talking trash about us Yanks.

c.d.

Ha Ha! True, I guess, but at least Cockney rhyming slang was meant to not be understood, except originally for the handful of people using it.

[Kunochan]

Kunochan, I actually like the way you think things through—it shows you’re genuinely wrestling with the limits of history and the problem of evidence. And I have to say, I also like your taste: David Warner in Time After Time (1979) is my favorite Ripper film too. He captured something chillingly plausible about the killer, precisely because the film leaned on logic rather than melodrama.

Thank you for the kind words and reasoned response. Earlier I implied that you might be lying for a profit motive—that was rude and uncalled-for, and I apologize.

People are complaining that the Thompson conversation has taken over this thread, so I'll stop here. I'm sure we'll continue to talk in other, more appropriate threads. I'm going to take some time to read up on Thompson so I can have a more informed opinion.