jac@paul.rutgers.edu (Jonathan A. Chandross) (07/17/90)
From: jac@paul.rutgers.edu (Jonathan A. Chandross) wdstarr@athena.mit.edu (William December Starr) > 1) "Never light three cigarettes from the same match." Explanation: > during WWI, German sniper SOP was (or was believed to be by the Yanks, > anyway) to pick up the rifle when they saw the match lit to light the > first guy's cigarette, sight in on the flame while the second guy lit > up, and then fire on the third guy. I guess the real moral is "Don't > light up at night when you're within possible sniper range of the > enemy, you idiot!" but it came out as the "three on a match" > superstition. ``[ H. H. Munro (Saki)]'s last words reported by a comrade, W. F. Spikesman, on a dark and damp November morning in Northern France [1916] were a warning that he should `Put that bloody cigarette out!' The warning came too late: a waiting sniper had enough time to pinpoint a more valuable target than anything military in view.'' John Letts, introduction to _Saki: Short Stories_, Folio Society, 1976, page 16. Jonathan A. Chandross Internet: jac@paul.rutgers.edu UUCP: rutgers!paul.rutgers.edu!jac