[Fictionary] CAGASTRIC - Results (or should that be "catastrophic" :-)

[Pierre Abbat]

> cagastric - adj. - releasing two latches at the same time to fling down a
> rope. Axaractes pulled the cagastric trigger, and Phidippides and the other
> runners started racing.
> Pierre Abbat : 4
>     Ranjit Bhatnagar : 1
>     Fran Poodry : 1
>     J-J Cote : 2
>     [Ed. Note: I must say that I never did figure this one out.]

It's an ancient Greek mechanism called "hysplex" (υσπληξ). Here's a video of 
some Greeks rebuilding the device at Nemea and using it to start a race: 
http://nemeangames.org/nemea-stadium/hysplex.html . "Inscriptions at the 
island of Delos" :) make it clear. ("Δηλος" means "clear, obvious", as well as 
being the name of the island.)

Ποδα παρα ποδα ... ετοιμοι ... απαγε!

Pierre
-- 
sei do'anai mi'a djuno puze'e noroi nalselganse srera