Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 18:59:18 -0400

From: "E. Wayles Browne" ewb2[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]CORNELL.EDU

Subject: Re: The Rat Pack is a rodent lighter



Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 15:19:00 +0900

From: KIM PAF02466[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]NIFTYSERVE.OR.JP



Here's a passage that's got me puzzled:



New Year's is a time to stand back and take stock (or divest, if you

happened to have bought shares of Caere Corp. in the past six months).

The Rat Pack is another rodent lighter, and luckless taxpayers are still

waiting for the gates to open at Yellowstone and the immigration office.



Could someone please tell me what's a rodent lighter?



Maybe I'm literal-minded, but I think it means 'is, once again,

lighter by one rodent' = 'has lost another one of its members'.





Wayles Browne, Assoc. Prof. of Linguistics

Morrill Hall, Cornell University

Ithaca, New York 14853, U.S.A.

tel. 607-255-0712 (o), 607-273-3009 (h)

fax 607-255-2044 (write FOR W. BROWNE)

e-mail ewb2[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]cornell.edu (1989 to 1993 was: jn5j[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]cornella.bitnet //

jn5j[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]cornella.cit.cornell.edu)