Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site cepu.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!bmcg!cepu!scw From: scw@cepu.UUCP Newsgroups: net.columbia,net.aviation Subject: Re: No joy? Message-ID: <364@cepu.UUCP> Date: Wed, 10-Oct-84 12:20:37 EDT Article-I.D.: cepu.364 Posted: Wed Oct 10 12:20:37 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 11-Oct-84 08:09:36 EDT References: <586@ihlts.UUCP> <1370@sdcrdcf.UUCP> Reply-To: scw@cepu.UUCP (Stephen C. Woods) Organization: VA Wadsworth Med. Center; LA CA Lines: 29 Xref: 1148 1026 Summary: In article <1370@sdcrdcf.UUCP> markb@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Mark Biggar) writes: >In article <586@ihlts.UUCP> rjnoe@ihlts.UUCP (Roger Noe) writes: >>Does anyone know the origin and meaning of the phrase "no joy"? I have heard >>it now from three astronauts[...] the phrase came about, please fill me in. >>Why didn't Tom Wolfe have this in "The Right Stuff"? (or did I miss it?) > >Probably short for "There's no joy in mudville" from the poem >"Casey at the bat". In his semi-biography the chap who was 'Cats Eye' Cunningham's R/O (Radar Operator) (Cunningham was the most successful British night-fighter pilot) reports that the phrase was in use as early as 1941 in the RAF. Other inreresting items in ths book are: Because the AI (Airborne Intercept) equipment was *SOO* top secret it was refered to as the 'thing'. Early Radar sets were very unreliable, and RAF slang for broken is/was 'bent'. Imagine if you will a plotting room full of WAFs and a voice comes over the speaker (RAF accents please) Control: Hello Blue 2, you are in position now, flash your thing. [pause of several min. ] Blue 2: Hello, Control, Blue 2 calling, no joy, returning to base. Ctrl: Hello, Blue 2, why are you returning? B 2: Hello control, my thing is bent. -- Stephen C. Woods (VA Wadsworth Med Ctr./UCLA Dept. of Neurology) uucp: { {ihnp4, uiucdcs}!bradley, hao, trwrb, sdcrdcf}!cepu!scw ARPA: cepu!scw@ucla-cs location: N 34 3' 9.1" W 118 27' 4.3"