I'm still prepping for my role in this afternoon's Walktober event in Norwich, A Jaunt Along the Heritage Walkway starting at three in Howard T. Brown Park (the T is for tenacious (maybe)), but I fell in love with a crime stoppers story yesterday not for the story but because of its opening line.
There are a LOT of versions of this story but only one with 'bamboozle.' I have no idea what use of that word is worth in Scrabble though I did see a "Tourette's Edition" the other day and knew exactly who should be getting that for Christmas.
But bamboozle is such a W. C. Fields' kind of word to me-a verbal postscript of another era, or error in light of how our nation is heading sometimes. Had the story also used rapscallion, and a reference to hornswoggled my joy would know no bounds. But something tells me Sylvia would have known that. Or at least her mom.
-bill kenny
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