A Conversation in Flash

[Jonathan Lighter]

Jon,

  Here's how I read it:

  ..."Have they robbed a victim ?"
     "Yes."
     "Then tell them to give back the loot. The police have been watching the place for the last half hour."

  Unless the thieves surreptitiously return the loot, the police may recognize them and catch them with it when they leave.

  On the other hand, if the point of the story is simply to show how stupid thieves are, the humor wold lie in the non sequitur advice to "hurry up," in spite of the fact that the police are watching and may seize the thieves as soon as they emerge.

  Jon

Jonathon Green <slang at ABECEDARY.NET> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Jonathon Green
Subject: Re: A Conversation in Flash
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Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Jonathan Lighter
> Subject: Re: A Conversation in Flash
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Feather" seems to be "return the stolen goods to" (quite the opposite of "pluck").
>
>
But why, Jon? The conversation here, at least as I read it, is saying;
'Get on with the job, the cops have their eye on the place already.' I
can see no suggestion of 'returning' the stolen goods, since the
'pigeon' has not yet been 'winged', and nothing has yet been
half-inched. Presumably they are still softening him up with max.

JG

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