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Representation in other media Petit's World Trade Center stunt was the subject of Sandi Sissel's 1984 half-hour documentary, High Wire, which featured music from Philip Glass's Glassworks. Mordicai Gerstein wrote and illustrated a children's book, The Man Who Walked Between The Towers (2003), which won a Caldecott Medal for his art. It was adapted and produced as an animated short film by the same title, directed by Michael Sporn and released in 2005, which won several awards.
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The documentary film Man on Wire (2008), by UK director James Marsh, is about Petit and his 1974 WTC performance. It won both the World Cinema Jury and Audience awards at the Sundance Film Festival 2008. It combines historical footage with re-enactment and has the spirit of a heist film. It won awards at the 2008 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina, and the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2009. On stage with Marsh to accept the Oscar award, Petit made a coin vanish in his hands while thanking the Academy "for believing in magic". He balanced the Oscar by its head on his chin to cheers from the audience. The same stunt was fictionalized in a biographical drama entitled The Walk (2015), directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Petit. Author Colum McCann fictionalized Petit's appearance above New York as a unifying thread throughout his 2009 novel Let the Great World Spin.
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Later life Petit has made dozens of public high-wire performances in his career. For example, in 1986 he re-enacted the crossing of the Niagara River by Blondin for an IMAX film. In 1989, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution, mayor Jacques Chirac invited him to walk an inclined wire strung from the ground at the Place du Trocadéro to the second level of the Eiffel Tower, crossing the Seine. Petit briefly headlined with the Ringling Brothers Circus, but preferred staging his own performances. During his stint with the circus and a practice walk, he suffered his only fall, from , breaking several ribs. He says he has never fallen during a performance. "If I had, I wouldn't be here talking about it."
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Petit regularly gives lectures and workshops internationally on a variety of topics and subjects. He single-handedly built a barn in the Catskill Mountains using the methods and tools of 18th-century timber framers. In 2011, he published his eighth book, A Square Peg. He has also created an ebook for TED Books, entitled Cheating the Impossible: Ideas and Recipes from a Rebellious High-Wire Artist. Petit divides his time between New York City, where he is an artist in residence at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, and a hideaway in the Catskill Mountains. Among those who have associated with some of his projects are such artists as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Werner Herzog, Annie Leibovitz, Miloš Forman, Volker Schlöndorff, Twyla Tharp, Peter Beard, Marcel Marceau, Paul Auster, Paul Winter, Debra Winger, Robin Williams and Sting.
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Director James Signorelli assisted with creation of Petit's book To Reach the Clouds (2002), about the Twin Towers walk. Petit not only wrote about his feat, and events that led to the performance, but also expressed his emotions following the September 11 attacks, during which the Twin Towers were destroyed. He wrote that on that morning, "My towers became our towers. I saw them collapse – hurling, crushing thousands of lives. Disbelief preceded sorrow for the obliteration of the buildings, perplexity descended before rage at the unbearable loss of life." Petit paid tribute to those who were killed and supported rebuilding the towers, promising that "When the towers again twin-tickle the clouds, I offer to walk again, to be the expression of the builders' collective voice. Together, we will rejoice in an aerial song of victory." However, a different complex of buildings has been developed on the site, and does not offer this opportunity.
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Legacy and honors James Parks Morton Interfaith Award Streb Action Maverick Award The Byrdcliffe Award Works and performances Major high-wire performances
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Bibliography Philippe Petit, Trois Coups, (Paris: Herscher, 1983). Philippe Petit, Two towers, I walk, (New York: Reader's Digest, 1975), ASIN B00072LQRM Philippe Petit, On The High Wire, Preface by Marcel Marceau, Postface by Werner Herzog (New York: Random House, 1985). Philippe Petit, Funambule, (Paris: Albin Michel, 1991) Philippe Petit, Traité du funambulisme, Preface by Paul Auster, (Arles: Actus Sud, 1997), , (in French / en français) Philippe Petit, Über Mir Der Offene Himmel, (Stuttgart: Urachhaus, 1998) Philippe Petit, Trattato di Funambolismo, (Milano: Ponte Alle Grazie, 1999) Philippe Petit, To Reach The Clouds: My High Wire Walk Between The Twin Towers, (New York, North Point Press, 2002). ASIN B000UDX0JA, , Philippe Petit, L'Art du Pickpocket, (Arles: Actes Sud, 2006) Philippe Petit, Alcanzar las nubes, (Alpha Decay, Barcelona, 2007) Philippe Petit, Man on Wire, (Skyhorse Publishing, New York, 2008)
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Philippe Petit, Why knot?: how to tie more than sixty ingenious, useful, beautiful, lifesaving, and secure knots!, (Abrams Image, New York, 2013) Philippe Petit, Creativity: The Perfect Crime, (Riverhead Hardcover, 2014) Philippe Petit, On The High Wire Re-release, Preface by Marcel Marceau, Postface by Werner Herzog (New York: New Directions, 2019).
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Filmography
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In culture The song, "Man on Wire" by the band 27 is a tribute to Philippe Petit. The song, "Sleepwalking," by Danish composer Ste van Holm is a tribute to Petit's World Trade Center walk. The Low Anthem's song, "Boeing 737", from their 2011 album Smart Flesh, refers to Petit's Twin Towers walk. American rock band Incubus used a photo of Petit as the cover art for their album, If Not Now, When? (2011). Colum McCann's National Book Award-winning novel, Let the Great World Spin (2009), features Petit's Twin Towers walk as its opening passage and a centrepiece to which numerous characters are connected. "Funambulist", a song by American metal band Cormorant, is about his walk between the Twin Towers. The song "Step Out Of The Void" by musician Howard Moss is a tribute to Philippe Petit, in the album Outside the Pale (2013). The song "Man On A Wire" by The Script on their fourth album, No Sound Without Silence, is influenced by Petit's high-wire legacy.
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The song "Stand Up Comedy" by U2 on their twelfth album, No Line on the Horizon, references "The wire is stretched in between our two towers". Petit was the inspiration for the 5th Anniversary 9/11 cover of The New Yorker magazine (11 September 2006), "Soaring Spirit", by John Mavroudis (concept) and Owen Smith (art). That cover was named Cover of the Year by the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). The two-part cover was a first for The New Yorker.
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See also Harry Gardiner Dan Goodwin Ivan Kristoff Owen Quinn Alain Robert The Flying Wallendas George Willig References Further reading Mordicai Gerstein, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (Roaring Brook Press, 2003) David Chelsea, 9-11: Artists Respond feature entitled "He Walks on Air 110 Stories High" (DC Comics, 2002) Ralph Keyes, Chancing It: Why We Take Risks (Little, Brown & Company, 1985) Angus K. Gillespie, Twin Towers: the Life of New York City's World Trade Center (Rutgers University Press, 1999) James Glanz and Eric Lipton, City in the Sky (New York: Times Book, 2003) Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin (New York: Random House, 2009) Articles and interviews Rosenthal, Adam (1 September 2012). "Suspended Reading: Man on Wire, 9/11 and the Logic of the High-Wire." Screening the Past. External links Columbia Artists Management Inc. — Philippe Petit
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MSA – The Man Who Walked Between The Towers. Co-produced by Michael Sporn Animation and Weston Woods Studios Philippe Petit Signature visible in the 1980s photos of Philippe Petit crossing the Twin Towers along with others Philippe Petit: The journey across the high wire, TED2012, Filmed Mar 2012, Posted May 2012. 1949 births Living people People from Nemours French emigrants to the United States French magicians French stunt performers Tightrope walkers Jugglers Unicyclists
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The Australian and New Zealand punting glossary explains some of the terms, jargon and slang which are commonly used and heard on Australian and New Zealand racecourses, in TABs, on radio, and in the horse racing media. Some terms are peculiar to Australia, such as references to bookmakers, but most are used in both countries. The emphasis in this list is on gambling terms, rather than the breeding or veterinary side of horse racing. 0-9 750s: Binoculars with magnification of 7x50 mm. 10-50s: Binoculars with magnification of 10x50 mm.
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A Acceptor: A horse confirmed by the owner or trainer to be a runner in a race. Aged: A horse seven years old or older. All Up: A Type of Bet where the winnings of one race is carried over to the next race and so forth. Any2: A new type of bet in Australia, very popular in Hong Kong. This bet wins if the horses you select come anywhere in the first 3 placings, 1st and 2nd, 2nd and 3rd or 1st and 3rd. Apprentice: A young jockey, usually under 21 years of age, who is still in training. Recent rule changes allow older riders just starting out to work their way through their "apprenticeship". Apprentice allowance: Reduction in the weight to be carried by a horse which is to be ridden by an apprentice jockey. Also called a "claim". It varies from 4 kg to 1.5 kg depending on the number of winners the apprentice has ridden. Recent rule changes have resulted in an increase in the maximum amount able to be claimed—from 3 kg to 4 kg.
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Approximates: The TAB prices horses are showing before a race begins. Asparagus: Name given to a punter who arrives on course with a stack of 'mail', hence: more tips than a tin of asparagus.
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B
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B.: An abbreviation for a bay horse as it appears in race books, pedigrees and stud books. Back: To bet on a horse. Backed In: A horse whose odds have shortened. Backed off the map: A horse which has been heavily supported resulting in a substantial decrease in odds. Back up: To race a horse soon after its latest engagement. Also, punters who keep backing a particular horse are said to "back up." Bagman: Bookmaker's employee responsible for settling bets on course. Bank teller job: A horse considered such a near certainty that a bank teller could invest ‘borrowed’ bank funds and replace them without detection. Banker: A key selection in an exotic bet which must win, or run a particular place to guarantee any return. Banker: See Dead cert. Barriers: Starting barrier used to keep horses in line before the start of a race. Each horse has a stall or place randomly allocated in the barrier draw for the race.
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Battler: A trainer, jockey or bookmaker who just manages to make a living from his full-time involvement in horse racing. Benchmark: under this system, operating in NSW, the weight a horse carries at its next start is determined immediately after its previous race, according to the merit of that run. Each Benchmark point equals half a kilogram. Best Bet: The selection that racing journalists and tipsters nominate as their strongest selection of the day. In the UK, it is known as the nap. Bet back: Action taken by a bookmaker when he is heavily committed to a horse and spreads some of the risk by investing with other bookies or the totalisator. Bet until your nose bleeds: Confident instructions to a commission agent or advice to a punter indicating that the horse is so certain to win that betting should only be halted in the unlikely event of a nose haemorrhage. Better than bank interest: Justification by a punter for backing a horse that is very short odds on.
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Betting exchange : Internet based organisations which broker bets between punters for a commission. The largest is Betfair. Big bickies: A large amount of money. Big note: To skite or exaggerate a position or status - to "big note" oneself. Big Red: Nickname of the champion race horse Phar Lap. Binos (pronounced "by-nose"): Binoculars. Birdcage: Area where horses are paraded before entering the racetrack. Bite: To ask someone for a loan. Bl.: An abbreviation for a black horse, as it appears in race books, pedigrees and stud books. Black type: Thoroughbred sales catalogues use boldface type to highlight horses that have won or placed in a stakes race. Bleeder: A horse that bleeds from the lungs during or after a race or workout. In Australia a first-time bleeder is banned from racing for three months. If it bleeds a second time the horse is banned for life. Blew like a north wind: Said about a horse whose odds have lengthened dramatically during the course of betting.
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Blinkers: A cup-shaped device used to limit a horse's vision during a race and improve concentration. Bloused: To be caught on the line or defeated in a photo finish. Blow: When the odds of a horse increase during betting. Blown out the gate: Odds have extended dramatically due to lack of support. Boat race: A race with a number of non-triers which is said to be fixed for one horse to win. Bolter: A horse at long odds. Bowling: When a syndicate of punters (usually professional gambler/s) uses a number of unidentified people ("bowlers") to simultaneously place bets on a specific race at numerous locations. Box: Betting term denoting an exotic combination bet whereby all possible numeric outcomes are covered. Box seat: A position in a race which is one horse off the fence and one horse behind the leaders. Bridle: A piece of equipment, usually made of leather or nylon, which fits on a horse's head and includes a bit and the reins.
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Br.: An abbreviation for a brown horse, as it appears in race books, pedigrees and stud books. Breaking: Breaking into a gallop, when trotting horses start galloping. Bred: A horse is bred where it is foaled. Thus a foal conceived in New Zealand but foaled in Australian is regarded as being bred in Australia. Breeder: A breeder of a foal is the owner of its dam when it is foaled. He may not have had anything to do with the mating of the mare or the place where it is foaled. Bring a duffel bag: Term used by a punter who expects to take copious amounts of cash home from the track. Broodmare: A filly or mare that has been bred and is used to produce foals. Buying money: Term used by a punter when required to bet 'odds on'.
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C
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C: The class of a harness racehorse which stands for Country Assessment; M stands for Metropolitan Assessment. A C11 M6 pacer has won an equivalent of 11 country class races and 6 metropolitan class races. c.: An abbreviation for a colt, as it appears in race books, pedigrees and stud books. Calcutta: Sweepstakes conducted prior to a big event with each horse being raffled and then auctioned to the highest bidder. Carry the grandstand: Said of a horse allocated a big weight in a handicap race. Cast: A horse situated on its side or back, and wedged in the starting stalls, such that it cannot get up. Cast a plate: Lost a racing plate. Ch.: An abbreviation for a chestnut horse, as it appears in race books, pedigrees and stud books. Chaff burner: Derogatory term for a horse. Checked: Incident during a race when a horse is blocked, causing it to change stride, slow down or change direction. Claim: see apprentice allowance.
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Clerk of the course: Mounted racecourse officials who manage horses and jockeys on the race track, and lead the winner of a race back to the mounting yard. Coat-tugger: A racecourse conman who will tip a horse to a punter, and if the horse wins, is always present when the punter collects, to demand a portion of the winnings. Colourful racing identity: Euphemism for a criminal. Colours: Coloured racing jacket and cap worn by jockeys to indicate the owners of a horse. Colt: An entire (ungelded) male under four years of age. Connections: The owners and trainer of a horse. Cop a minty wrapper: To receive a very light "sling" or gratuity. Correct weight: After a race the weight carried by at least the placegetters is checked, and 'correct weight' is the signal by the stewards that bets can be paid. Could not lay it with a trowel: Said by bookmakers of a horse that has been completely neglected in the betting ring. Cricket score odds: Very long odds, usually 100 to 1 or better.
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Crucified: see Slaughtered. Crusher: A bookmaker who takes top odds from his colleagues and then offers prices on the same horse or horses at reduced odds. Cuts his own hair: An expression to indicate a person is very careful about investing any money.
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D
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Daily double: Type of wager calling for the selection of winners of two nominated races. Dam: The mother of a horse. Daylight: Often called as second place getter in a race where the winner has won by a wide margin. Dead cert: Dead certainty, a horse or team that is considered highly likely to win. Dead heat: is a tie between two or, rarely, more horses for a win or place in a race. Dead 'un: A horse deliberately ridden to lose. Deductions: The percentage reduction in odds, for win and place bets, when a horse is scratched from a race after betting on that race has commenced. Derby: A stakes event for three-year-olds. Desperate: A hopeless gambler; one who has no control over his or her tendency to bet. Dip: A pickpocket on a racecourse; someone with light fingers. Dishlickers: A colloquial term for greyhound racing. Dogs are barking it: A big tip which has become common knowledge. Doing plenty: Having a rough trot on the punt.
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Donkey-licked: To be defeated convincingly. Double carpet: 33/1 outsider. Drift: When the odds of a horse increase or ease. Drift in: A horse moving from a straight path towards the rail during a race. Drongo: A horse or person who was disappointing, slow or clumsy. Drum: Good information, a tip. Drum can also mean to be placed 2nd or 3rd in a race; to run "the drum." Dutch book : To bet on a number of horses, at varying odds, such that whichever bet wins, a set profit is guaranteed. Duet: Exotic bet to select two of the three placegetters in a race. Duffer in the wet: Does not run well on slow or heavy tracks.
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E
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Each way: To bet for a win and a place. Early crow: When someone, usually a Race caller, calls the winner of a race prematurely and incorrectly. Educated money: An amount invested on a horse from a stable or informed source. Emergencies: Substitutes, or replacements, for horses which are scratched from a race which is limited to a number of starters. The 'emergency starters' are drawn up by ballot or lottery to take the place of any runner that is withdrawn. Emu: A person who picks up discarded betting tickets on a racecourse, hoping that some will be of value. The person strikes a similar pose to Australia's largest native bird when feeding. Entire: Any male horse with both testicles in the scrotum. Equipment: includes regular tack and gear which must be approved. See Gear changes. Even money: Odds of 1-1. A total return of $2 for a $1 outlay. Exacta: Exotic bet to select the first two finishers in a race in the exact order of finish.
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Exotics: Any bet other than a win or place e.g. Quinella, trifecta, quadrella, superfecta, treble, exacta.
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F f.: An abbreviation for a filly, as it appears in race books, pedigrees and stud books. Facing the breeze: Horse on the outside that can't get past the leader in trotting races. Failed to give a yelp: Said of a horse that, although expected to go well, runs down the track. Farrier: A person who shoes the horses. Favourite: The horse which is quoted at the shortest odds in a race. Field bet: To incorporate all of the runners in a race in one combination of an exotic bet. Filly: A female Thoroughbred less than four years of age. Firm: To shorten in the betting, generally because of the weight of money being invested. First Four: An exotic type of wager picking the first four finishers in exact sequence, known as a Superfecta in the US. First up: The first run of a horse in a new preparation. Flip of the coin: The odds available are quoted at even money. Flying handicap: A sprint race generally of less than 1200 metres.
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Foot on the till: Expression indicating that a horse is ready to win. Form : A horse's record of past performances. Fractions: The cents left over after TAB dividends are rounded down to the lower 10 cents. Front-runner: A horse that performs best when allowed to run along at the head of the field. Furlong: An eighth of a mile (220 yards).
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G Gear Changes are authorised by stewards and appear in form guides and race books. Gear falling into this category includes: Blinkers, pacifiers, winkers, visors, cheekers, Cornell Collars, ear muffs, nose bands, nose rolls, various bits, tail chain, tongue tie, various plates and shoes for racing. Prior to racing: barrier blankets, stallion chains and blindfolds. Gelding of entire males is also to be notified. Gelding: A male horse that has been castrated. Get on: Have your bet accepted. Get out stakes: The last event on any racing programme. Get up: To win. Getting set: Being accommodated for a wager. Getting up without names: An indication that a number of long shots have won races, hence: "They're getting up without names today." Girth: An elastic and leather band sometimes covered with sheepskin, that passes under a horse's belly and is connected to both sides of the saddle.
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Going: The surface condition of the racecourse (fast, good, dead, slow, or heavy). A trial system introduced in NSW in 2005 rates tracks on a score of 10, from 1 [Fast] to 10 [Heavy]. Victoria introduced the system for a trial period on 1 December 2005. Good alley: A barrier draw considered to be ideal for a particular horse. Good oil: Positive information about a horse's chances in a race. Gorilla: A colloquial term for one thousand dollars. Got at: A horse is said to have been got at when it was by any means been put in such a condition that it cannot win. Got the blows: Drifted in the betting. Gr.: An abbreviation for a grey horse, as it appears in race books, pedigrees and stud books. Greet the judge: To win a race. Group race: High quality race categorised into Group One (G1), 2 and 3 and Listed races, in order of importance. Grow another leg: Said of horses that handle wet tracks well.
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H h.: An abbreviation for a horse (stallion), as it appears in race books, pedigrees and stud books. Had something on the winner: Understatement of a punter who may have bankrupted a couple of bookies. Hairy-goat: A racehorse that has performed badly. Half-brother, half-sister: Horses out of the same dam but by different sires. It does not apply to horses by the same sire. Ham: As in 'What a Ham'. Term used for a horse that has been in a good paddock/looks a little large around the edges. Hand: Unit of measure (equals 4 inches) of a horse's height. Thoroughbreds typically range from 15 to 17 hands. The measurement is taken from the ground to the horse's withers - the point where the neck meets the back. Handicap: A class of race for which the official handicapper assigns the weight each horse has to carry. Handicapper: The racing official who assigns the weights to be carried by horses in handicap races. Hang: To veer away from a straight course during a race.
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Hard earned: Money. Head: A margin between horses. One horse leading another by the length of his head. Headquarters: Randwick. In Victoria, Flemington Racecourse is known as headquarters. The Heath: The nickname for Caulfield Racecourse. Hold all tickets: Announcement by the Stewards that no bets can be settled until certain aspects of the race have been investigated. Hoop: Jockey. Horse: An entire male horse of four years of age or more. Hot Pot: The race favourite.
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I Imports: Horses imported to Australia are indicated by an abbreviation the country of their birth, such as New Zealand (NZ) and United States (USA). An * (asterisk) suffix may also be used to denote horses imported from England or Ireland to Australia or New Zealand. Impost: The weight a horse is allocated or carries. In the red: The price of a horse when it is odds on. The Bookmakers' boards display 'odds on' in red to distinguish from odds against. Inquiry Inquiry into the running of the race. Can result in demotion of one or more horses in the finish order. Irons: Stirrups.
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J Jackpot: Monies carried over to the next suitable race or meeting. This occurs in exotic bet types such as quadrella and superfecta when no investor selects the winning combination. Jigger: An illegal battery powered device used by a jockey to stimulate a horse during a race or track work. Jumped out of the ground: Said of a horse which comes from nowhere at the end of the race. Jumped out of trees: Said by bookmakers of a rush of punters to plunge on a horse. Just about square: Punters expression for when they have almost won back the money they have lost earlier in the day. K Knocktaker: An absolute certainty. A moral. A stone bonker. A B.O.A.T. [Bird Of All Time]. Knuckled over: To stumble away from the starting stalls, usually caused by the track surface breaking away from under a horse's hooves, causing it to duck its head or nearly go to its knees.
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L Lacks ticker: Deficient in the heart department (i.e. courage). Late mail: Final thoughts and selections of tipsters allowing for things like scratchings, jockey changes and on course information. Lay: When a bookmaker takes a risk and increases the odds of a particular horse to entice investors because the bookmaker truly believes that horse has no chance of winning the race. Lay down misere: An absolute certainty. Lay of the day: A fancied horse considered by a bookmaker to be the one about which he will take the biggest risk. Lay off: Bets made by one bookmaker with another bookmaker or the tote, in an effort to reduce his liability in respect of bets already laid by him with investors. Lay in/out: When a horse directs its head and attempt sto move its body towards or away from the rail. Left it in the bag: An unsuccessful betting plunge which results in the money remaining in the bookmaker's bag.
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Length: A length. The length of a horse from nose to tail. Used to describe the distance between horses in a race. Equal to 0.17 seconds. Let down: A jockey is said to let down his horse in the final stages of a race when asking it for its final effort. London to a brick on: Long odds-on. Long shot: An outsider at long odds with little chance of winning. Lost a leg in the float: The horse has drifted alarmingly in the betting. Low flying: A horse travelling so fast it is said to be "low flying" rather than running. Lug: Racing erratically and hanging in.
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M M: The class of a harness racehorse which stands for Metropolitan Assessment. A C11 M6 pacer has won an equivalent of 11 country class races and 6 metropolitan class races. m.: An abbreviation for a mare, as it appears in race books, pedigrees and stud books etc. Maiden: A horse that has not won a race. Mail: Information and tips. Mare: A female horse over three years old. Market: The list of all horses engaged in a race and their respective odds. Mentor: The trainer of a horse. Monkey: A term used for five hundred dollars. Moral: An absolute certainty. Mounting yard: Enclosure where the horses are paraded prior to each race and jockeys mount and dismount their horses. Muck lather: Term for a horse sweating profusely, usually brought on by nervousness prior to a race. Mudlark: A horse which goes well on a wet track. Multi Bet: A type of bet which allows you to automatically place the winnings from the previous bet(s) onto the following bet(s).
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N Nags: Derogatory term for horse racing. Near side: Left hand side of a horse. The side on which a horse is normally mounted. Neck; A win or place margin, which in racing is about the length of a hores's neck. Neglected: Attracting very little support in the betting. Nose: The short winning margin in an Australian horse race, followed by a short half-head. Nose band: A leather strap that goes around a horse's nose to help keep the mouth shut.
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O Oaks: A stakes event for three-year-old fillies. Odds against: Odds which are longer than evens (e.g. 2–1). At present Australian odds are expressed as a $ figure: 2-1 is now shown as $3 (2-1 plus the $1 stake). Odds on: Odds which are shorter than evens (e.g. 1-2 or 2–1 on). Or $1.50, using the above example in Odds Against. Odds on look on: An old adage used by punters in which the decision is made not to bet on a race in which the favourite is at odds on. Off side: The right hand side of a horse. On course tote: The totalisator which is situated at the race course. On the bit: When a horse is eager to run. On the nod: A betting transaction between a punter and bookmaker without money changing hands. A credit bet. On the nose: A bet placed on the win only One large: A term used for one thousand dollars. Ordinary cattle: A derogatory term for a low class field of runners. Outlay: The money an investor bets or wagers is called their outlay.
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Outsider: A horse whose chances of winning a race are not considered very strong. An outsider is usually quoted at the highest odds. Overs: Odds about a horse which are considered to be good value because they are longer than its estimated probability of winning. Overweight: Excess weight carried by a horse when the rider cannot make the allocated weight, including apprentice allowances.
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P
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Pacifiers: Mesh eye-covers used to calm horses down. Racing stewards may restrict their use in wet weather for safety reasons, as mud can stick to them. Pay the grandstand: Often said of a likely exotic tote dividend when one or more outsiders win or run a place. "It will pay the grandstand." Penetrometer: A device used for measuring the hardness or softness of the track by measuring the extent to which the device penetrates the ground. [See "Going".] Persuader: Colloquial term for a jockey's whip. Photo finish: Where the finish of the race is so close that a photograph has to be used to determine the eventual winner/placer. Pigskin: A jockey's saddle. Pig-root: Horse which bucks and tries to throw the rider. Pilot the field: To lead the race. Placed: Finished in the first three in a race.
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Place bet A place bet will win if the selected horse finishes in the first three in fields of eight or more horses. If there are only six or seven runners the horse must finish first or second to place. Plonk: A sizeable amount wagered on a horse. Not quite a plunge but a "decent plonk" nevertheless. : In the bookmakers' ring, a massive and sudden support for a horse. Postilion: Jockey. Preliminary: The walk, canter or gallop by a horse on the way to the starting stalls. Pre-post odds: A horse's anticipated odds as printed in the morning newspapers. Price: The odds on offer about a horse. Prior convictions: A horse which has failed to perform to expectations on previous occasions.
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Protest: When a jockey, owner, trainer or steward alleges interference by one party against another during a race that may have affected the outcome of a race. If a protest is upheld by stewards, the runner that caused the interference is placed directly after the horse interfered with. If a protest is dismissed, the original result of the race stands. Pulled its head off: Said of a horse that would not settle, or over-raced. Pulling: Over racing. Punt: To wager on the outcome of a race. Punter: Person making the wager. Put your house on: A good thing.
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Q Quadrella: A type of wager which requires the selection of winners of 4 nominated races. Also known as a 'Quaddie'. Quality Handicap; Races which have a minimum weight of 53 kg and a maximum weight of 61 kg unless otherwise approved, plus minimum rates of prizemoney.
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R Racing plates: Aluminium horseshoes. Rails: The fence on the inside of a race track. Also, the prime position in a bookmakers' ring. Hence "rails bookmaker." Red-hots: The trots, or harness racing. Relegated: Horse is demoted in finish order due to an inquiry into the race. Result: In bookmaking a "result" is a financial outcome of any race. It may be a "good result" or a "bad result." Ridden upside down: Not ridden in the usual manner. An example would be a normal front runner which is ridden back in the field. Rig: A male horse which is a cryptorchid or not properly castrated. Ring: An area on a racecourse where the bookmakers are positioned is always called a "ring", regardless of its shape. Ring-in: A horse in a race who has been substituted illegally for the correct entrant. The most infamous case in recent years was the Fine Cotton ring-in. Risky conveyance: A horse which has a record of not performing to expectations in previous races.
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Roughie: A horse at long odds which is considered to have only a remote chance of winning a race. Running double: Type of wager calling for the selection of winners of two consecutive races.
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S
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Saddlecloth: A cloth which goes under the saddle to identify the horse by number and, sometimes in major races, its name. Salute the judge: The horse wins the race. Satchel swinger: A bookmaker. Score up: In harness racing the movement of horses behind the mobile barrier before a start is made. Scraping paint: Racing tight, or close, to the running rail. Scratch: To be taken out of a race before it starts. Sectionals: Intermediate times recorded during a race. Set the board: When a bookmaker completes the information shown on the betting board, by listing each runner in a race and their respective odds, he or she is said to have set the board. Settling: A meeting between bookmaker and punter at which money is exchanged in settlement for past credit betting. The majority of settling now takes place at the course prior to the race. (Shadow) Nose Roll: A wide lambs wool covered noseband designed to keep the horse from seeing his own shadow.
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Shillelagh: Colloquial term for a jockey's whip. Shin sore: Inflammation of the membrane of the cannon bone. Short half-head: The second-smallest winning margin. In Australia a NOSE is the shortest margin a horse can win by. Shorten: When the odds of a horse decrease, usually because a lot of money has been wagered on that horse. Shrapnel: The term used by a bookie's bagman for a heap of small coins. Silks: A jockey's breeches and bib or cravat Sire: The father of a horse. Skinner: A "result" for a bookmaker which entails very little, or no pay out whatsoever on a race. Slaughtered: Said of a jockey who has ridden a horse so badly as to be the main cause of it losing a race. Sling: A sum of money given as gratuity or bonus generally by an owner to a trainer, jockey or strapper. Smarty: A somewhat derogatory term for a person not to be trusted, especially with privileged stable information. Smoky: A well supported horse with no apparent form to justify its price.
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SP : An illegal "off course" operator – a starting price bookmaker. The term SP is also used by racing officials to declare the official starting price of a horse. Special: see Best bet. Speedy squib: A horse which has a reputation for beginning races extremely fast and running out of steam before the winning post. Spell: The resting period for a horse between preparations or racing. Spin: An expression for a five-pound note (pre-1966 currency). Spot: A term used for one hundred dollars. Spring Grand Slam: Informally describes the treble of the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup. Sprout wings: To accelerate surprisingly in the straight to defeat a leader who looked certain to win. Stake: The sums of money deposited or guaranteed by the parties to a bet. Stakes races: Group one, group two, group three or listed races. Stayer: A horse that specialises in longer distance races.
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Stewards: Officials who run the race meeting and are responsible for enforcing the Australian [and Local] Rules of racing. Stick: Jockey's whip. Sticks: Hurdles or fences in jumping races. Stipes: Another term for the Stewards. (Or Stipendiary Stewards) Stirrups: Metal "D" shaped rings into which a jockey places his/her feet. Also known as "irons". Stone motherless: Expression used to indicate that a horse is running a clear last in a race, or is tailed off at the finish. Stonebonker: A good thing in a race. A horse considered to be over the line. Straight out: Betting to win only Strapper: The person who attends to, grooms, and usually leads the horse around the mounting yard.
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Superfecta: An exotic type of bet which requires a punter to select the first six horses to cross the finish line in the exact order. Only previously offered in New South Wales; now replaced by the First Four. (Compare with the usual U.S. definition, which is similar to the Australian/New Zealand First Four.) Swimmer: Horse which performs very well on rain effected tracks. Swooper: A horse which charges home at the end of a race.
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T TAB: Totalisator Agency Board. The original State government body appointed to regulate off-course betting. Many of the State TABs have been privatised in recent years. Tabcorp is Australia's largest gambling and entertainment group. It was established in 1994 following the privatization of the Victorian TAB. Take the knock: Fail to honour betting debts. The punter concerned generally goes missing. Taken to the cleaners: An expression used by both bookmakers and punters when they have suffered a huge loss. Taking a set: When a bookmaker increases the odds of a favoured horse, which in their opinion can't win the race, in order to receive more bets. Three-quarter-brother (or sister): A term used for horses out of the same dam, but are by a sires that are half-brothers or who are by the same sire.
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Tomato Sauce Odds: Refers to an odds-on favourite in betting parlance. The phrase derives from the days of fractional odds when bookmakers used a red background on their boards to denote horses running 'odds on'. These days the phrase is used in general (and somewhat colloquial) horse racing vernacular, for example: "Those who took the tomato sauce odds were never in danger as she led throughout to defeat Splash of Paint and Amber Cash in 23.38". Ton: A term used for one hundred dollars. Tongue tie: A strap or piece of stocking used to tie down a horse's tongue to prevent it getting over the bit, which affects a horse's breathing and the jockey's control of the horse. Tote: TAB. Toppy: The top weight or horse carrying the No. 1 saddlecloth. Totalisator: An alternative form of betting to bookmakers or a betting exchange. All bets are placed into a pool, and dividends are paid by dividing the final pool by the amount invested on the winner, less a fixed percentage.
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Town: To race in 'town' means to race on metropolitan tracks in a capital city, as distinct from all other tracks which are collectively called 'The Bush'. Track condition: Used to describe the racing surface (Fast: Very firm surface, Good: Firm surface, Dead: Track with give in the ground, Slow: Rain affected, Heavy: Very rain affected). Now replaced in some states by a 1-to-10 rating system. Transfusion: An injection of cash. Travelling: A descriptive term to indicate current financial status. A bookmaker or punter might be "travelling well" or "not travelling all that well at the moment." Treble: An exotic bet consisting of selections in 3 separate races, all of which must win for the wager to be successful. Trifecta: An exotic type of wager picking the first three finishers in exact sequence. Triple Crown: A term for the three-year-old Randwick Guineas, Rosehill Guineas and the AJC Australian Derby. Trots: Harness Racing
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Two Year Old Triple Crown (also known as the Two-year-old Grand Slam): Consists of the Golden Slipper Stakes, AJC Sires Produce Stakes and the Champagne Stakes.
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U Unbackable: A horse which is quoted at such extremely short odds that investors decide it is too short to return a reasonable profit for the risk involved. Under double wraps: An expression indicating that a horse won very easily without being fully extended. Unders: Odds about a horse which are considered to be bad value because they are shorter than its estimated winning probability. Undertaker: A bookmaker said to only be interested in laying "dead 'uns". Urger: see coat-tugger. V Via the cape: The horse ran wide on the home turn and covered too much ground. The expression is probably an analogy of the ocean voyage from the UK to Australia via the Cape of Good Hope compared to the more direct route via the Suez Canal. Visor blinkers: Blinkers that have a peep hole cut in them and are used to limit a horse's vision during a race and improve concentration.
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W Wager: Another term for bet. Warned off: A person warned-off a racecourse is not permitted to enter a racecourse or associate with licensed persons. Weigh out: Before each race, a jockey, and his equipment are weighed to ensure that the horse carries its allotted weight. Weight for Age: Better class of race in which the weight a horse carries is allocated on a set scale according to its age and sex. The Cox Plate, which is regarded as Australia's best race, is a weight-for-age event held by the Moonee Valley Racing Club in October each year. Weight-for-age handicap: The system used to determine weights for the Melbourne Cup in which the weight of the jockey and riding gear is adjusted with ballast to a nominated figure. Older horses are given more weight than younger ones, and weightings are further adjusted according to the horse's previous results. Welsher: Person who refuses to honour a bet. Welter: A handicap race with a higher minimum weight.
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Whip: A race whip (or crop) made to Australian specifications, is about 22-24 inches long, and a jockey uses it to control and encourage a horse to increase its speed. Winkers: A sheepskin device which attaches to the cheek straps of the bridle to help the horse focus its vision to the front. Winkers allow more side vision than a blinker. Wouldn't back it with bad money: An indication that a punter has no confidence in a horses chances such that even if he had counterfeit money he would not back it. Write your own ticket: An expression indicating that a horse is at very long odds, with very little chance of winning.
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X Y Yours for theirs: A bet taken at odds of even money. Z Zambuck: Ambulance, as required at all race meetings. See also Equine coat color Glossary of equestrian terms Harness racing in Australia Harness racing in New Zealand Thoroughbred racing in Australia Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand Glossary of North American horse racing Notes External links Nationally Approved Gear Gambling terminology Australian punting glossary Punting Punting Australian horse racing lists New Zealand sport-related lists
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The following is a timeline of the Presidency of Maithripala Sirisena from his first announcement as presidential candidate in November 2014 to the present. Pre-presidency 2014 November 21 November: Sri Lanka Freedom Party general secretary and cabinet minister Maithripala Sirisena defects to the opposition and announces he would run against Mahinda Rajapaksa in the coming election. 21 November: Sirisena and the other UPFA MPs were stripped of their ministerial positions and expelled from the SLFP.
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December 1 December: On 1 December 2014 Sirisena signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with 36 opposition parties/civic groups promising to abolish the executive presidency, hold parliamentary elections, form an all-party national government and carry out various political reforms. Signatories to the MOU include the UNP, Sarath Fonseka's Democratic Party, Democratic People's Front, Azath Salley's Muslim Tamil National Alliance, Free Media Movement, Federation of University Teachers Association as well as dissident groups of the LSSP and Communist Party. 2 December: The Jathika Hela Urumaya announces it will be supporting Sirisena in the presidential election. 17 December: A stage that Sirisena had been intending to use for a campaign rally at Wanduramba near Galle was set on fire along with a vehicle by an unidentified group, and three workers installing the stage were abducted.
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19 December: At a rally at Viharamahadevi Park, Maithripala Sirisena released his manifesto, titled A Compassionate Maithri Governance — A Stable Country 24 December: Sirisena's election office in Batticaloa was attacked in the morning by a group of around 30 unidentified people armed with firearms and petrol bombs. 27 December: Sirisena's election office in Irrakandi was attacked during the night. 30 December: The Tamil National Alliance, the largest political party representing the Sri Lankan Tamil people, endorsed Sirisena.
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2015 January 2 January: An opposition rally in Pelmadulla was stoned by government supporters, seriously injuring at least 20, whilst Sirisena was addressing the rally. 3 January: As Sirisena was leaving a rally at Aralaganwila a group of government supporters arrived in a jeep and fired shots at the rally, injuring a bystander and damaging vehicles. Presidency
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2015 January 9 January: Around 8:06 (2:36 UTC) Election commissioner confirmed Maithripala Sirisena as the new elected president. 9 January: President Sirsena is sworn in as Sri Lanka's sixth executive president, and seventh overall, before Supreme Court judge K. Sripavan in Independence Square, Colombo at 6.20pm. 11 January: In his Inaugural address to the nation from Sri Dalada Maligawa, in Kandy, Sirisena invited all political parties to join to form a national unity government. 12 January: Sirisena forms an interim cabinet and calls the Parliamentary elections two years ahead of schedule for 23 April. 12 January: President Sirisena lifts a ban on news websites, blocked under his predecessor, and promised to enact a Right to Information bill. 13 January: The Sirisena government replaces retired military officer G. A. Chandrasiri as Governor of Northern Province with retired diplomat and civil servant H. M. G. S. Palihakkara.
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16 January: President Sirisena, who is chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party by virtue of his presidency, is handed over leadership of the SLFP by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, saying he does not want to see his party divided, but has vowed to remain in active politics. 27 January: President Sirisena calls for limiting the term of office of the President to 5 years from the current 6. 29 January: President Sirisena assumes duties as Minister of Defence, in addition to being Commander-in-Chief. 30 January: President Sirisena swears in Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka Kanagasabapathy Sripavan as the new Chief Justice, at the Presidential Secretariat.
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February 2 February: President Sirisena outlines his plan for creating a drug-free Sri Lanka. 4 February: President Sirisena presided over the 67th Independence Day Celebrations at the Parliament Grounds. 10 February: President Sirisena announces the creation of a Presidential Commission to probe into corruption during that of the former government. Sirisena has appointed Supreme Court Justice Priyasath Dep to head a Commission. See also Presidency of Maithripala Sirisena 100-day reform program References Presidency of Maithripala Sirisena Maithripala Sirisena Sirisena, Maithripala
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Irving David Breger (April 15, 1908 – January 16, 1970) was an American cartoonist who created the syndicated Mister Breger (1945–1970), a gag panel series and Sunday comic strip known earlier as Private Breger and G.I. Joe. The series led to widespread usage of the term "G.I. Joe" during World War II and later. Dave Breger was his signature and the byline on his books. During World War II, his cartoons were signed Sgt. Dave Breger.
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Early life Growing up in Chicago, where he was born of native Russian parents, butcher Benjamin Breger and Sophie Passin Breger, only a few weeks after they arrived in the United States from Ukraine. As a youth, Breger had encounters with the local gangsters while working at his father's sausage factory. In 1926, he acquired his high school diploma from Crane Technical School, where he drew cartoons signed Irving Breger for the school paper. He studied architectural engineering at the University of Illinois and then transferred to Northwestern University, where he edited the campus humor magazine, Purple Parrot, while studying pre-med and psychology. He had no schooling in art or cartooning, and his college cartoons were drawn in a style similar to John Held, Jr.
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Graduating from Northwestern in 1931 with a degree in abnormal psychology, he spent a year traveling the world, visiting Russia and Africa; during that period he sold cartoons to the German magazine, Lustige Blätter. He returned to Chicago and the sausage stockyard, rising to the position of office manager of his father's firm, where he devised the company slogan, "Our Wurst Is the Best". His first marriage, with fashion model Evelyn Breger, lasted five years. In 1937, after receiving a $30 check from The Saturday Evening Post, Breger arrived in New York and began freelancing to Collier's, Parade, This Week, Esquire, Click and The New Yorker. World War II
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Early in 1941, he was drafted into the United States Army and sent to Camp Livingston in Louisiana, where he repaired trucks. He drew at night in the bakery or while sitting in a truck with netting overhead to keep the bugs away. The Saturday Evening Post, under the heading Private Breger, began publishing these cartoons as a series starting August 30, 1941. The Army became aware of his talent and transferred him to the Special Services Division in New York, where he married Brooklyn-born art agent Dorathy Lewis on January 9, 1942. In the early spring of 1942, he was assigned to the New York staff of Yank, the Army Weekly.
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Yank wanted Breger to do cartoons like those in The Saturday Evening Post, but the editors asked him to devise a new title. He came up with the title G.I. Joe from the military term "Government Issue", and the character's full name was Joe Trooper. His G.I. Joe cartoon series began in the first issue of Yank (June 17, 1942). That summer, Breger arrived in the UK in 1942 as one of the first two Yank correspondents, covering the American military in England as a photo-journalist, while also producing his weekly G.I. Joe cartoon for Yank. King Features Syndicate took an interest and signed Breger on to do a Private Breger (aka Private Breger Abroad) daily panel for domestic distribution. It was launched October 19, 1942 and continued until October 13, 1945.
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He soon became one of the most famous and widely read of the World War II cartoonists, and the term "G.I. Joe" was adopted first by soldiers and then the homefront as the popular term for the American foot soldier. (Hasbro's G.I. Joe is a different character, developed by Larry Hama and trademarked as "G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero.") In 1942, Breger illustrated the sheet music for Irving Berlin's "I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen". G.I. Jerry Breger also produced G.I. Jerry, satirical cartoons about Hitler and others in the Nazi regime. There also was a postcard series titled Private Breger. The character remained a private throughout World War II, while Breger himself was promoted through the ranks to corporal, sergeant and eventually lieutenant. His August 25, 1945 cartoon was signed Lt. Dave Breger, indicating his final military rank. From 1943 to 1946, Private Breger was reprinted in David McKay's Ace Comics (1943–46) and Magic Comics (1945).
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Mister Breger Returning to civilian life after World War II, Breger also had his character become a civilian. Private Breger was discharged, and on October 22, 1945, the title was altered from Private Breger to Mister Breger. The Mister Breger Sunday strip was added on February 3, 1946. Vacationers could write friends with the set of Mister Breger postcards, Mister Breger on Vacation. Recurring themes in the strips and panels included jail, weddings and Breger employed as a bank teller. In one cartoon, Breger predicted that since television showed so many old movies, the day would come when movie theaters would turn to vintage television for product. This prediction came true with the advent of such TV-based films as Mission: Impossible and Star Trek. Mister Breger also received comic book reprints in The Katzenjammer Kids (1947), Popeye (1967), Beetle Bailey (1969) and Flint Comix and Entertainment (2009–10).
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In 1946, Breger became a founding member of the National Cartoonists Society. Dave and Dorathy Breger settled in West Nyack, New York, where they had three children—Dee, Lois and Harry. They were, according to Breger, "all three artistic". In the 1960s, Breger taught a cartooning course at New York University, developing his lesson plans into a book, How to Draw and Sell Cartoons (1966). When Breger died in 1970, he was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. Mister Breger continued to run as a daily panel until March 21, 1970. The final Sunday was published the following day, two months after his death. Books Between 1942 and 1951, Breger did five books collecting his Army cartoons. Private Breger in Britain (1944), published in London by Pilot Press Ltd., included an introductory discussion on Anglo-American humor between Breger and Michael Barsley. Squads, Write was a 1951 postcard book with 32 cards printed 6" × 11" on postcard quality paper.
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In But That's Unprintable (1955) Breger wrote about newspaper and magazine taboos and illustrated his text with 135 unpublished cartoons by leading cartoonists, including Bo Brown, Milton Caniff, Irwin Caplan, Eric Ericson, Stan Fine, Rube Goldberg, Leo Garel, Don Flowers, Phil Interlandi, Reamer Keller, Fred Lundy, Jack Markow, Charles E. Martin, Fred Neher, Russell Patterson, Mort Walker and George Wolfe. The material is arranged in such chapters as bodily functions, clothing, death, mental illness, sex and words. Awards and exhibitions Northwestern University honored him in 1946 with an Alumni Merit Award for distinguishing himself in his field of endeavor. An exhibition of Breger cartoons, WWII and Private Breger, was displayed at Syracuse University's Ernest S. Bird Library from February 28 to April 6, 1979.
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Syracuse University Library's Special Collections Research Center has Breger's papers (more than 90 items of correspondence) plus 2,414 of his cartoons, including 377 of the World War II cartoons. There is also a collection at the Library of Congress. Bibliography Private Breger: His Adventures in an Army Camp. Rand McNally and Co., 1942. (Collects 'The Saturday Evening Post cartoons) Private Breger's War: His Adventures in Britain and at the Front. Random House, 1944. Private Breger in Britain. London: Pilot Press Ltd., 1944. Give Out: Songs of, by and for the Men in Service. Femack Company, 1942. The Original G.I. Joe (Private Breger). Garden City, New York: Blue Ribbon Books, 1945. Squads, Write! (1951) But That's Unprintable. Bantam Books, 1955. How to Draw and Sell Cartoons. G. P. Putnam's, 1966. See also George Baker Bill Mauldin References
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Sources Strickler, Dave. Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924–1995: The Complete Index. Cambria, California: Comics Access, 1995. External links 14 G.I. Jerry panels Syracuse University: Dave Breger Papers 1942–1969 Yank and "War-toons" DailyINK: "Ask the Archivist: Memorial Day Salute" (May 30, 2012) Lambiek Comiclopedia page. The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Art Database 1908 births 1970 deaths American comics artists American comic strip cartoonists G.I. Joe American people of Russian-Jewish descent Jewish American writers Artists from Chicago
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HMS Spitfire was a of the Royal Navy. She served during the years of peace following the end of the American War of Independence, and by the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars, had been reclassified as a 14-gun sloop-of-war. Spitfire went on to serve under a number of notable commanders during a successful career that saw her capture a considerable number of French privateers and small naval vessels. She spent most of her career in Home waters, though during the later part of her life she sailed further afield, to the British stations in North America and West Africa. She survived the Napoleonic Wars and was eventually sold in 1825 after a period spent laid up.
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Early career
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Spitfire was built at the yards of Stephen Teague, of Ipswich, and was launched on 19 March 1782. She had been completed at Sheerness by 18 July 1782, having been first commissioned in March that year under Commander Robert Mostyn, for service in the English Channel. He was succeeded by Commander Thomas Byard in November, and he by Commander Charles Bartholomew in January 1783. Spitfire was paid off in April that year and spent a period laid up in ordinary at Sheerness, briefly being refitted for a period of service in 1790 under the command of Commander Robert Watson. Spitfire was then paid off again. More extensive work was carried out the following year, and she recommissioned in March 1791 under Commander Thomas Fremantle. Fremantle commanded her until her paying off in September that year, upon which she was almost immediately recommissioned as a sloop under Commander John Woodley. She served under Woodley in the Irish Sea and the English Channel until Commander Philip Charles
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Durham succeeded him on 12 February 1793.
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French Revolutionary Wars Durham went on to enjoy considerable success during his brief stint in command during the early months of the French Revolutionary Wars. On 13 February 1793 he captured the privateer cutter Affrique (or Afrique), of Le Havre. Affrique was a small vessel of only 22 tons (bm). She carried six swivel guns, twelve stand of small arms, fifty pistols, and 25 swords, all for a crew of 21 men. The capture of Affrique was the first capture of a vessel flying La tricolore. For this feat Lloyd's of London gave him a piece of plate worth 100 guineas, or £300 pounds, their first such award of the war.
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On 19 February 1793 he sent off his boats against a privateer sloop and two other sloops near Treeport, about a dozen miles north-east of Dieppe. The fire from some 2,000 troops ashore with field pieces made it impossible to bring the prizes off but the British managed to knock the privateer to pieces and stove in and set fire to the other two vessels, one of which was carrying a cargo of fine brandy. In the following month Spitfire captured the privateer St Jean and burnt the merchant vessel Marguerite. On 27 April Spitfire fell in with two French armed brigs, one of 16 guns and the other of 12. Spitfire and the brigs exchanged fire for half an hour under the fort at Cherbourg, which contributed her fire to the encounter. The brigs fled into the harbour and Spitfire let them go rather than risk grounding. Despite the cannonading that she had been subject to, Spitfire suffered no damage or casualties. Spitfire recaptured the galiot Two Brothers in May.
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Durham was promoted to post captain on the frigate on 24 June, and Commander James Cook replaced him on Spitfire. Cook's death by drowning in January 1794 necessitated the assigning of Commander John Clements to take over the Spitfire. Commander Amherst Morris succeeded Clements in October. In 1796 Commander Michael Seymour replaced Morris. Commander Michael Seymour Seymour would spend the next four years as her commander and, like Durham before him, enjoyed considerable success in actions against small French raiders. He captured at least nine privateers and small vessels of the French Navy. In September and October Spitfire captured a number of merchant vessels, one being particularly valuable. On the 2nd, she captured the Danish ship Sobestern. On 15 September Spitfire captured the Concordia. Thirteen days later, Spitfire captured the Danish brig Apollo. Then on 4 October Spitfire captured the Argos, and two days later the Jacoba.
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Spitfire was active off the English and Irish coasts during the French attempt to invade Ireland in early 1797 and on 12 January 1797 she captured one of the expedition's storeships, Allègre (or Allegrer), about 30 leagues west of Ushant. She was a brig of 200 tons (bm), and was carrying ammunition and entrenching tools. Seymour followed this success by capturing the privateer cutter Bons Amis, of six guns and 32 men, off the Eddystone on 2 April 1797, and after a five-hour chase. She had been out three days and had not made any captures. Bons Amis was the former Friends Endeavour, of Fowey.
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Next, Seymour captured the privateer brig Aimable Manette in the Channel on 1 May 1797, after an eight-hour chase. She was armed with 14 guns and had a crew of 69 men. She was a new vessel, half coppered, and beautiful. She had been out 13 days, and not only had she not taken anything, the evening before she had encountered an outward-bound English yellow-sided ship armed with sixteen 9-pounder guns. The engagement had cost Aimable Manette 15 men killed and wounded and forced her to sheer-off. Then Spitfire captured the privateer schooner Trompeuse, of Morlaix, later that month. Trompeuse was armed with six guns and had a crew of 40 men. Trompeuse had been out five days and had taken two Prussian vessels from Embden, one sailing to Liverpool and the other to Oporto. Spitfire had also been in sight when HMS Unite recaptured a brig. Spitfire also recaptured the Rodney and Hannah. In July, Spitfire captured the ship Sally.
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Seymour and Spitfire took the French privateer schooner Incroyable 13 leagues SW off the Lizard on 15 September. She was armed with three 6-pounder guns and had a crew of 31 men. She was 14 days out of Saint Malo but had captured nothing. During the first half of 1798 Spitfire also captured the smuggling lugger Argus. At the end of 1798, on 27 December, Spitfire recaptured Sybille, of Dartmouth, while in the Channel. The French privateer schooner Vigilant had captured Sybille on 25 December while Sybille was carrying bullocks and sheep to Guernsey for the troops there. She then had a narrow escape from Vigilant off Start Point while returning to Plymouth.
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One week later Spitfire captured the 14-gun transport , of 400 tons (bm), in the Bay of Biscay. Wildings crew consisted of seamen from three French ships of the line and she had been taking firewood for the French Navy from Aber Wrac'h to Brest under the escort of Levrette, a gun vessel from which she had parted company. Wilding had been a British ship in the West Indies trade before the French had captured her. On 15 March 1799, the prize agent, J. Hawker esq., paid Spitfires foremast men nearly £40 each. One man not only spent it in two days but ended up owing his landlady 15 guineas. (This money may have been prize money for Concordia.)
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On 31 March 1799 Spitfire took the privateer brig Résolue of St. Malo, 14 leagues off Scilly during a violent gale. She was armed with fourteen 6 and 8-pounder guns, and had a crew of 65 men. She was a new vessel, out two days from Saint Malo on her first cruise, and had made no captures. Her owners also owned Hirondelle, which the ill-fated Telegraph had captured in a notable fight. On 12 April, orders arrived at Plymouth for to take on board 183 French prisoners from and Spitfire for onward conveyance to Portsmouth. On 9 May Spitfire brought a smuggling lugger called Providence into Plymouth. The lugger had a cargo of 90 ankers of spirits and 26 bales of tobacco.
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Later that month came upon seven enemy vessels which made to engage her, but then turned away when she sailed towards them in "a spirited style". Arethusa captured one, an armed ship, which was carrying sundries from Saint-Domingue. Spitfire took the prize into Plymouth on the 23rd while Arethusa sailed off in search of the other six. On 28 June Jupiter, Monk, master, arrived at Plymouth. She had been sailing from Surinam to Copenhagen with sugar and coffee, supposedly Dutch property, when Spitfire detained her. In September, Spitfire convoyed the linen fleet from Belfast to The Downs. On 3 November, she brought into Plymouth the Guernsey smuggling lugger Endeavour, with her cargo of 299 ankers of spirits and 23 bales of tobacco. Spitfire and the cutter captured the brig Gute Hoffnung. In December 1799 Spitfire captured the Danish ship Twilling Riget.
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On 22 January 1800 Spitfire came in from Kinsale to Plymouth with a Danish vessel, Havel Rerli, with a cargo of spices and the like, from Batavia. The cargo was worth £150,000 and supposed to be Dutch property. Five more vessels were reported to be following. On 16 April 1800, a French privateer in the Channel plundered the American vessel A. B. C. two hours before Spitfire boarded her. When A.B.C. reported the privateer, Seymour left A.B.C. to make her own way into Plymouth and set off in pursuit. A.B.C. arrived at Plymouth on 19 April.
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Early in the morning of 17 April 1800, Spitfire was nine leagues south of the Bolt Head when she sighted a brig. She gave chase, a chase that a Guernsey privateer and joined until by noon Spitfire had left them behind and out of sight. Then Telegraph, from under Alderney, came up and fired a broadside at the quarry, but then too fell behind. At 2p.m. Spitfire finally captured the privateer about four leagues from Cape Levy on the French coast. The privateer was Heureuse Societé of Pleinpont, of 14 guns and 64 men. She was a new vessel that had been out only three days and had made no captures. Spitfire later shared the prize money with Telegraph. Spitfire brought Heureuse Societé into Plymouth on 20 April.