Word: whopping
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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Referring to Mr. Bob de Lany's criticism of your use of the word "whop" [TIME, Sept. 13], and your query as to whether readers agree with this gentleman...
Therefore, I am inclined to go along with TIME'S description of the airplane accident as "whop!," admitting at the same time that my opinion can be disqualified as I am more familiar with "whams" than "whops...
...think your description of the crash at Daytona was a commendable try. One thing that might have confused Reader de Lany was the lapse of too much reading time between the whop, crash, and smash. Now (ahem) if you had written it thus: "Suddenly, just after the big transport had drummed some 25 ft. above the highway . . ., there was a rending crack! whop! smash! as the ship slammed full tilt into a pine power pole, as the motors ripped out and fell and the rest of the plane bashed into a palmetto thicket...
With regard to the "Whop, Crack, Smash" article, I heartily agree with Mr. de Lany...
...TIME'S ear, a trimotored airplane, colliding with a pole, breaking apart in mid-air and striking the ground, makes noise. As near as TIME and the English alphabet could catch the sound, it was whop, crack and smash. Do other readers agree with Writer de Lany...