Nigel Rees - A Word In Your Shell-Like стр 29.

are you married? See OOH, YOU ARE AWFUL.

are you now or have you ever been (a member of the Communist Party)?

The stock phrase of McCarthyism, the pursuit and public ostracism of suspected US Communist sympathizers at the time of the war with Korea in the early 1950s. Senator Joseph McCarthy was the instigator of the witch hunts, which led to the blacklisting of people in various walks of life, notably the film business. Those appearing at hearings of the House of Representatives Committee on UnAmerican Activities (1947-circa 1957) were customarily challenged with the full question. Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been? was the title of a radio/stage play (1978) by Eric Bentley.

are you ready, Eddie? Slogan for the Today newspaper in the UK (1986). Not an immortal slogan but worth mentioning for what it illustrates about advertising agencies and the way they work. Today, a new national newspaper using the latest production technology, was launched by Eddie Shah, hitherto known as a unionbusting printer and publisher of provincial papers. In its collective wisdom, the Wight Collins Rutherford Scott agency, charged with promoting the new papers launch, built the whole campaign around the above slogan. Why had they chosen it? Starting with the name Eddie Mr Shah being thought of as a folk hero in some quarters the agency found that it rhymed with ready. So the man was featured in TV ads being asked this important question by his staff. Unfortunately, the ad agency had zeroed in all too well on the most pertinent aspect of the new papers launch. Today was not ready, and the slogan echoed hollowly from the papers disastrous start to the point at which Mr Shah withdrew. The phrase had earlier been used as the title of a track on the Emerson, Lake and Palmer album Tarkus (1971), where it referred to the recording engineer, Eddie Offord (to whom it had, presumably, been addressed). The same rhyme occurs in ready for Freddie, meaning ready for the unexpected, the unknown or the unusual (according to DOAS, 1960), and was a phrase that came out of the Lil Abner comic strip of the 1930s; are you ready for Freddy? was used as a slogan to promote the film Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4 (US 1989) referring to the gruesome character, Freddy Krueger.

are you ready to take the challenge? This was used in some marketing tests in 19901 for an unidentifed product I fill out a form and stand in line. When it came to my turn I was presented with a tray on which stood two unmarked beakers and two upturned tubs. My jolly uniformed woman smiled and said: Are you ready to take the challenge? Independent on Sunday (23 September 1990). Taking up a challenge was originally a procedure in medieval chivalry. The knight making the challenge would throw down his gauntlet. The person accepting the challenge would formally pick it up. Mostly in political and business use, there is the phrase to meet the challenge a cliché by the mid-20th century. It occurs along with other rhetorical clichés during the Party Political Speech (written by Max Schreiner) on the Peter Sellers comedy album The Best of Sellers (1958): If any part of what I say is challenged, I am more than ready to meet that challenge. With the Tories reeling from their worst nationwide election defeat in modern times, the Prime Minister [John Major] marched out to Downing Street to promise: I will meet a challenge whenever it comes Evening Standard (London) (6 May 1994); The World Bank reports: Deficiencies in the system of legal education and training and a dearth in appropriate standards of professional ethics, have left legal practitioners complacent and unprepared to meet the challenge of their business clients competing in a global economy Financial Times (15 July 1994).

are you sitting comfortably? then Ill begin This was the customary way of beginning stories on BBC radios daily programme for small children, Listen with Mother. The phrase was used from the programmes inception in January 1950. Julia Lang, the original presenter, recalled in 1982: The first day it came out inadvertently. I just said it. The next day I didnt. Then there was a flood of letters from children saying, I couldnt listen because I wasnt ready. It remained a more or less essential part of the proceedings until the programme ended in 1982. Sometimes Lang said, then well begin. In the archive recording of 7 February 1950, Lang says, Are you sitting quite comfortably, then Ill begin. In the Times obituary (18 January 1988) of Frieda Fordham, an analytical psychologist, it was stated

that she had actually coined the phrase when advising the BBCs producers. From the same programme came the stock phrase and when it/the music stops, [Daphne Oxenford, or some other] will be here to tell you a story.

are you there, Moriarty? Name of a rather rough party game that has probably been played since the early 20th century, if not earlier. Why it is called this is not known, though perhaps it might have something to do with the evil ex-Professor James Moriarty, arch-enemy of Sherlock Holmes and the man who apparently killed him off. In the game, two blindfolded individuals lie on the floor, facing each other and holding left hand to left hand. In their free hands they hold rolled-up newspapers or magazines. One says, Are you there, Moriarty? The other answers, Yes or I am here, and the first then attempts to hit him on the head, if he can locate it. Obviously, the person about to be hit can attempt to move his head out of the line of fire. It takes all people