21 Comments

1. Nice title! Ill Wind is one of my favorite F&S songs :)

2. I’m happy to give you money, but is there some way we can do so without giving a cut to Substack? I’d rather not support them financially.

3. I love the double dactyl (and double amphibrach)! I actually wrote one on Cabin Pressure years ago…

Higgledy-piggledy

Officer Richardson,

Arthur, the steward boy,

And Captain Crieff

In her controlling hand,

Hexagenarian

Caroline Knapp-Shappey

Gives no relief.

Expand full comment

Loverly-love from the

Airport—John Finnemore

Can't spend his banknotes

With Charles's head.

French horn confusion is

Unsatisfactory,

Thus he will take up the

Tuba instead.

Expand full comment

Those straight-forward and solvable looking postcards are making my brain bleed.

Expand full comment

Hmmm. If you gave us something of the Nightingale/Wilkinsons every time I would pay double. But I would also happily pay single.

Expand full comment

Re the cor anglais: in North America many of us have, in fact, gone the rest of the way and call it the English horn. I myself was wondering why you kept using the French name for it, since I wasn't very well-versed in this instrument or its history before now.

Re the murder mystery: It would certainly be possible to make a set of braille cards containing the text puzzle, which might more readily represent the experience than an audio format would. AS you've said, the pictures are probably a write-off, but there might still be suitably puzzling terrain to explore in the braille itself if you were interested in going beyond the text. RNIB would probably be the folks to ask where you are; over here, I'd think of Lighthouse for the Blind, Braille superstore, American Printing House, National Braille Press, and possibly others if I took more time.

Expand full comment

My grandfather happened to be in the United States the day after King George died, and actual human beings refused to change his notes. 'This money's no good - that man's dead, I heard it on the radio!'

Expand full comment

I’m sure something as unforeseeable as the death of a 96-year-old woman has thrown the optical scanners into disarray.

Appreciate you, Mr. F, from the left side of the Atlantic, and while I missed having a full series of JFSP, I have all the previous series and Double Acts on Audible and hope you see a few pence from that. US journalist/essayist John Dickerson has posted praising Cabin Pressure, and if you haven’t connected I think you would be fast friends. You’re both invited to my imaginary new Algonquin round table.

Expand full comment

So long. Farewell. Auf wiedersehen. Goodbye - at least to the part of the email which will now only be seen on the West German side of "The Wall". It was brief but fun and, of course, we all have to live, even John.

If you think that the ATM machine was funny, you'd love Scottish Intercity trains. They have cupboards specially for Tartan paint storage.

Yours in poverty,

Kim

Expand full comment

Just so you know, you didn't fix the commenting thing on subscription-only newsletters for non-subscribers - just tried it on today's (Monday 23/09) newsletter.

Expand full comment

I thought I recognised that meter when I read the Wikipedia entry aloud to myself, and of course I did: it’s the verse form used by Uncle Newt for Jerry’s birthday paean.

I suppose it isn’t a ‘true’ double dactyl in that it doesn’t have the nonsense opening line nor the single word taking up a whole line (and I do detect two swallowed first syllables in the final few verses, although God knows that’s forgivable given the restrictions), but it’s nice to know that Jerry’s pandemic poem was — unconsciously, from his perspective? — informed or inspired by his beloved mentor.

You’ve somehow made one of my favourite scenes even more special.

Expand full comment

Well apparently it’s to do with the software in the machines. The computer, to quote another comedian, says no.

Expand full comment

Permission to get all teary-eyed at Jerry's poem?..

Expand full comment

By which I mean, it's wonderful.

Expand full comment

Fishily Dishily

Kedgeree Wilkinson

So good to hear from you

One of these days

Do you think finally

Kid Jerry Wilkinson

You could just finish my

Paean of praise?

Expand full comment

Finally, I think the word for the Dutch version of the double dactyl is my new favourite word.

Expand full comment

Oh, ollekebolleke... s! I've just realised I didn't put a six-syllable word in the second verse. Apologies.

Expand full comment
Sep 15·edited Sep 15

Apparently ATMs won't accept the new notes featuring Charlie-Boy either.

Did they redesign the size of them or something? (I've not seen one as I rarely use cash since the Pandemic.)

Expand full comment

A regular witty or maybe just silly read (or drawing) from you to look forward to is something I'd be happy to pay for. Especially considering how much of the stuff I got to get for free in the past years. But it seems the glitch with the monthly payments (or even the yearly ones as I've discovered) is not yet resolved.

Having waited for a year and a half for The Researcher's First Murder I'll endure the wait for the last third of the newsletter(s) in anticipation.

Expand full comment

Can't wait to start on the Researcher's First Murder!

If any other Cain's Jawbone fans are wanting a puzzle fix in the meantime, check out JB's Jawbones - most recent one here

https://wp.me/pfpjTM-2z

Or www.puzzlesbyjb.com

Expand full comment

I have pledged and been sent a link to subscribe… but the £6/month dose not work as it is set to yearly.

If I pay by Apple Pay or my debit card then your will only be getting 50 pence monthly.

I shall postpone my payment until it resolves and makes it worth your while!

Expand full comment