Rolf, Thanks much for the Slausen reference. You hit it on the head, actually. My ignorance was a result of not watching the Johnny Carson show. As it turns out, Johnny had this bit where he's a used car salesman who directs people to the Slauson cutoff and then asks the audience: "And what do you do when you get to the Slauson cutoff?" The audience then answers: "You cut off your Slausen." Here the pickle maker informs the joke further. Now this fits in w/the very numerous references (many other names as well) to dismemberment (in the double sense used by Euripides as well as in Barton), to cutting off of bodily parts. Remember Charlie is the decapitator here and this decapitation is also related to the penalty in the Book of Daniel which heavily informs the film. But here I've gone on too long when I wanted only to thank you. David Goldblatt ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]