[Ads-l] antedating "wilco"

[Jonathan Lighter]

I remember the name "Roger Wilco," probably through ancient sitcom
allusion. I'm sure I never saw the strip.

JL

On Sun, Feb 11, 2018 at 3:33 PM, Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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."
> > > >
> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
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> > > >
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > 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
>
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> 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