The plow and The Three Garridebs (not by O'Casey)

[Joel S. Berson]

"Plow" is (was) spelled "plough" in England, so Sherlock knew the ad
was actually placed by the American villain, who has assumed the name
Garrideb in order to entice a real Garrideb away from his house.  The
American has presented the advertiser as a third Garrideb, needed in
order to inherit a magnificent legacy, and induced the real Garrideb
to go see him at Aston.

Joel

At 10/23/2008 09:16 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:
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>What makes the clue crucial, Joel?
>
>-Wilson
>
>On Wed, Oct 22, 2008 at 9:15 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject:      Re: Noah Webster at 250
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > At 10/22/2008 12:00 AM, Wilson Gray wrote:
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> >>Dennis Baron writes:
> >>
> >>"...plow, not plough ..."
> >>
> >>Back in the 'Forties, there was a soap-operatic, cartoon-serial
> >>entitled _The Gumps_. One day, the Gumps were expecting as dinner
> >>guest an English gentleman named "Plough." Confusion reigned as to how
> >>this name might be pronounced, so that introductions would not pose an
> >>embarrassing problem. Various solutions were proposed. I went with
> >>"Pluff," myself. It seemed obvious.
> >>
> >>When Mr. Plough arrived and was forced to explain to his American
> >>hosts that his name was pronounced "Plow," exactly as spelled,
> >>millions of Americans, including your humble correspondent, were taken
> >>completely by surprise. ...
> >
> > Earlier, there is the Sherlock Holmes tale where the crucial clue is
> > a plow -- in a newspaper advertisement purporting to come from a
> > constructor of agricultural equipment in Aston.  {"The Adventure of
> > the Three Garridebs")
> >
> > Joel
> >
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>
>--
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>come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
>-----
>-Mark Twain
>
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