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)