The game is afoot

Dear Editor,

"Come, Watson! The game is afoot. Let us venture forth and see whether we can untangle this web of intrigue regarding the proper use of the English language.

"This we can do without fear of soothsayers or dragon slayers casting their gaze upon us. We shall not have to fear King George and his minions who may seek to lay non-believers by the heels into Newgate prison or the Tower."

"Watson, come here. The use of the word 'meaning' has no place in this (meaning the heavy metal). I also perceive the word 'but' to be out of place in that part of the missive which reads, 'also meaning show the way but in the present tense."

"Look, my friend, we've found what could be an incomplete or fragmented sentence. 'Tis a sticky wicket this proper use of the English language.' If one failed to understand the writer intended it as a complete thought, or was a stickler for detail, this too fails the litmus test."

(My apologies to Sir A. C. Doyle who was a great mystery writer. I didn't think Poe, another of my favorites, would have worked as well.)

As mentioned, this is a game that anyone can play without fear of running afoul of anyone. I must dust off my vocabulary and sentence structure and await further developments.

Robert A. Yost

McCook