[Ads-l] antedating "wilco"

[Ben Zimmer]

Wilson, is this the Roger Wilco you remember?

https://allthingsger.blogspot.com/2009/02/delta-bravo-wednesday-advertising-day.html
"Roger Wilco also was the name of the main character in a series of comic
strip ads drawn by Hi and Lois' artist Dik Browne, when he was working for
the comic strip ad agency Johnstone and Cushing in the late forties for
Powerhouse candy bars. Somewhere between 1946 and 1947 a new comic strip
adventure of this he man hero appeared in newspapers all over the country.
The strip and the character probably weren't designed or originated by
Browne, who only signed the May 1947 ad below (the only one from my own
collection, as the rest are taken from micro-fiche copies)."

See the above post for reproductions, as well as these posts:

https://allthingsger.blogspot.com/2009/02/delta-bravo-wednesday-advertising-day.html
https://allthingsger.blogspot.com/2009/02/wildo-two-early-daily-strips-of-roger.html
https://allthingsger.blogspot.com/2009/04/sunday-powerhouse-ads-may-be-only-work.html
https://allthingsger.blogspot.com/2014/11/off-color.html


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?
>

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