[Ads-l] antedating "wilco"

[Wilson Gray]

There was once a comic-strip character named "Roger Wilco."

A stroll through Google indicates that there may be no one else on earth
who remembers Roger, it being the case that most cites are references to
arguments over whether the use of "Roger, wilco" is correct, an argument
that has a long history.

Naval Institute Proceedings - Volume 73 - Page 165
https://books.google.com/books?id=4M4jAQAAIAAJ
United States Naval Institute - 1947 - ‎Snippet view
"_Roger, wilco_, over, and out." The Commander immediately got on the phone
again and in a few choice, exasperated words explained the meanings and
usage of _roger, wilco_, over, and out and directed W node hack's attention
to publications, pamphlets, memos, and despatches to study as references.
"Is that understood, Woodchuck? Over." A very nervous Woodchuck
replied: "This is Woodchuck. Affirmative. _Roger, wilco_, over, and out."


Plane talk - May 1947 - Page 32
https://books.google.com/books?id=043Hep2dAkMC
Flying Magazine - ‎Vol. 40, No. 5 - ‎Magazine - ‎Full view
Ercoupe—“Washington Tower, this is Ercoupe nine four one three eight—over.”
Tower—“Ercoupe nine four one three eight, this is Washington Tower, go
ahead. ” Ercoupe—“Washington Tower from one three eight, request taxi
instructions, over.” Tower—“One three eight, Roger. Wind northwest one
five. Cleared to runway three two. Altimeter three zero zero four. Time
zero nine five six.” Ercoupe —“One three eight, _Roger, Wilco_.”


Flying - Volumes 36-37 - Page 142
goo.gl/dUuL4w
Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, 1945
Received                                     *Roger*
Received and will                        *Wilco*
     comply


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedure_word#Roger,_received,_romeo,_copy
ROGER
"I have received your last transmission satisfactorily, radio check is LOUD
AND CLEAR." "ROGER" is used to mean "yes."
WILCO
"I understand and will comply." Used on receipt of an order. "ROGER" and
"WILCO" used together are redundant, since "WILCO" includes the
acknowledgement of "ROGER."

On Sun, Feb 11, 2018 at 11:54 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> There seems to be no indication that the writer meant that he was the one
> saying "Roger."
>
> But it may well have been an editorial error of that sort.
>
> JL
>
> On Sun, Feb 11, 2018 at 10:32 AM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Possibly a mistranscription? Maybe the pilot said ROGER, not the tower.
> >
> > You are right that ROGER was the wrong word for the tower to use there.
> >
> > DanG
> >
> > On Sun, Feb 11, 2018 at 9:00 AM, Jonathan Lighter <
> wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > OED: 1946
> > >
> > > 1941 _Sunday Oregonian_ (Portland) (Dec. 7) 90 [ReadEx]:
> > > The Tower answers, "Tower to four-seven-two. Land in the east. Wheels
> > down
> > > and locked. Go ahead." I say, "Four-seven-two, wilco."
> > >
> > > Earlier, "Tower to four-seven-two. You may take off, Roger."
> > >
> > > The writer is an air cadet at Randolph Field, but this use of "Roger"
> > (no,
> > > not his name) seems wrong or archaic (i.e., new to me).
> > >
> > > It should be "Out." Or perhaps "Over." Shouldn't it?
> > >
> > > JL
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > truth."
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



-- 
-Wilson
-----
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-Mark Twain

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org