Posted by Pete on April 14, 2001 at 19:29:32 from 213.122.127.190:
In Reply to: Re: Come the raw prawn, Pete? posted by Mike Field. on April 14, 2001 at 17:12:12:
I remember the 'raw prawn' phrase from 'Barry McKenzie', a strip cartoon written by Barry Humphries (who became 'Dame Edna'). I can't vouch for its authenticity. It's probably like 'fair dinkum', never used by Aussies, although I did once hear an Oz come out with it, and he immediately said 'Jeez, I said 'fair dinkum!!''
Before we all fall off the right hand edge of the screen, one last summing up on behalf of the 'anti-torchers'. The only scenario which will fit the torch-signalling theory is as follows. Before the D's started signalling, the upper room at Holly Howe was lit by a lamp or candle, as it was a 'steady light'. The Swallows would not be expected to light themselves to bed with a torch, unless the Jacksons were very poor hosts. Then when the signalling from the barn started, the Swallows responded using a torch with a good battery. It must have been good because the light it gave was as good as the previous lamp light. Then when the D's whirled their torch around, the Swallows for some reason chose a torch with a poor battery to reply. They then picked up the good torch again to send the morse flashes. Complicated or what?
No, they signalled all along with a lamp, only using a torch for the 'whirling'. Even Roger would not have dared to 'whirl' an oil lamp.
I therefore submit that the 'torch theory' is, as the Aussies probably don't say, 'not too crash hot'.