# 1920's Style Death Ray? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 28, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154 "2003-08-28T07:47:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/1 "2003-08-28T07:47:49Z")
Could someone post a link to the thread that started all of this? I was away from the boards for awhile, & when I come back, it’s everywhere. I tried to do a search for it, but came up with 4 pages of threads in the last month. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Publius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@Publius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Publius)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/2 "2003-08-28T07:57:02Z")
[Are scalar weapons for real?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=202225&highlight=scalar) ---
**Author:** ![Homer\_J.Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a698b9/32.png) [@Homer\_J.Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer_J.Simpson)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/3 "2003-08-28T07:59:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Are scalar weapons for real? I believe they are 1920’s Style Death Rays. ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/4 "2003-08-28T08:06:55Z")
Ah, thanks. Now I’m in the know. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/5 "2003-08-28T13:12:05Z")
I believe they are 1920’s Style Death Rays. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/6 "2003-08-28T13:20:19Z")
This gets asked so often, it would be nice if it were in the FAQ. The penalty for asking it without first reading the FAQ would be, of course, execution by 1920’s style “Death Ray”. ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/7 "2003-08-28T13:30:57Z")
Are there penalities which don’t involve 1920s style Death Rays? ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/8 "2003-08-28T13:40:43Z")
[curmudgeon] Got old fast, didn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/9 "2003-08-28T13:48:33Z")
I’d like to object to the apostrophe in the phrase ‘1920’s style “Death Ray”’. May I? OK. I object to the apostrophe in the phrase ‘1920’s style “Death Ray”’. It should be ‘1920s style “Death Ray”’. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/10 "2003-08-28T13:57:25Z")
But in **Dogface** ’s original triple-post, the phrase appeared exactly like this: > [@](#): > > 1920’s style “Death Rays”. Therefore, I feel it is appropriate, when using the phrase, to use exactly that punctuation. Note that “Death Rays” should be enclosed within double quotation marks. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/11 "2003-08-28T14:03:15Z")
Thanks, **Fugazi**. I’ve been trying to figure this out, too. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/12 "2003-08-28T14:07:43Z")
I concur, **Arcite** , but I also object. I also object to the sky being blue, but it doesn’t do me any good either. ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/13 "2003-08-28T14:11:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hawthorne \* > \*\*[curmudgeon] Got old fast, didn’t it? \*\* Yes. It is officially old now. Please stop it, it isn’t funny anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/14 "2003-08-28T14:13:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*I concur, **Arcite** , but I also object. > > I also object to the sky being blue, but it doesn’t do me any good either. \*\* Geez, you’re a tough one! What color would you prefer? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/15 "2003-08-28T17:14:15Z")
Where can I get my very own 1920’s Style Death Rays? I could put it to some good use! ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/16 "2003-08-28T21:02:42Z")
Well, first you need a time machine . . . ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/17 "2003-08-28T21:05:00Z")
I can’t wait until this one dies out, it’s a dead horse already. ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/18 "2003-08-28T21:18:29Z")
Thanks to **Orange Skinner** , I now know where this pesky phrase originated. To me, it’s tiresome… but then that’s just my opinion. Nobody ever listens to me anyhow. F\_X ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/19 "2003-08-28T21:41:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by World Eater \* > \*\*I can’t wait until this one dies out, it’s a dead horse already. \*\* Will it meet its demise with a 19_3_0s-style “Death Ray”? ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154/20 "2003-08-28T23:35:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by World Eater \* > \*\*I can’t wait until this one dies out, it’s a dead horse already. \*\* NO! There are three reasons it shouldn’t die out. 1. It hasn’t spread to other sites - I want this to be as big as the “All your bases” thing. 2. I intend to keep using it as long as people keep . . . 3. Hi Opal! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/198154.md?page=2)