# 1920s style death ray **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 7, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610 "2003-12-07T21:01:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![myles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@myles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myles)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/1 "2003-12-07T21:01:28Z")
Many times in different threads I have seen “1920s style death rays” referenced knowingly, so, what’s the dope? Where did this thing start? What does it mean? What was the original post that got the whole thing started? Inquiring minds want to know. I’ve tried searching for it. But it seems like there are several thousand posts with just those words. ---
**Author:** ![grib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dbc845/32.png) [@grib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grib)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/2 "2003-12-07T21:11:31Z")
Those 1920’s style death rays remind me of those new fangled scalar weapons. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/3 "2003-12-07T21:14:45Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=202225](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=202225) ---
**Author:** ![myles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@myles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myles)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/4 "2003-12-07T21:24:01Z")
Ah, So Dogface was the first to use the phrase on August 4, 2003, at 3:04 P.M.? I had always assumed that the phrase had been used previously to that date. And the phrase had never been used any time previously? Why did he invent the phrase then? Did he invent the phrase out of thin air? or was there any other inspiration? And why has the phrase become so popular in so few months? ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/5 "2003-12-07T21:29:28Z")
Ah, they’re 1920’s style “Death Rays”. ---
**Author:** ![myles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@myles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myles)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/6 "2003-12-07T21:35:43Z")
I don’t understand, Tusculan. Didn’t I specify myself and say 1920’s “Death Rays” at the beginning of the thread? I did not mean this thread to be a constant stream of jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/7 "2003-12-07T21:39:50Z")
All right, we’re serious. **Dogface** only wanted to redescribe the ‘scalar weapons’ in more familiar terms. Then he tripleposted, which looked funny. Next, in true SDMB fashion other posters started to emulate his post, or use variations, just for fun. Whence the popularity? Because it is a short phrase, easily remembered, that lends itself to zillions of variations. It’s catchy and it’s fun. You should try it some time. They’re 1920’s style “Death Rays”. If you don’t like the joke, my apologies. But you should know by now that this would happen. FTR, there are lots of members who don’t like it at all (ask **Seven** ). ---
**Author:** ![myles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@myles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myles)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/8 "2003-12-07T21:57:03Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/9 "2003-12-07T22:13:05Z")
Then again some members are _very_ interested in the phrase. Why? Because it is _more_ than just a phrase … it is a fact. **Myles** , rather than my rehashing all the 1,000 previous postings, you should go to the original thread and see for yourself. I imagine if people (such as myself) keep posting to such topics I might get a stern warning from a moderator stating it is against Message Board rules, etc. But I know better. The Straight Dope Message Board moderators are answering to a higher authority and trying to suppress the truth about these weapons. I’ve uncovered some facts which links these weapons to Area 51, the Illuminati, the Trilateral Commission, NSA, CIA and maybe even the Bureau of Weights and Measures !!! (_That’s_ when you know you are getting really close to the truth). ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/10 "2003-12-07T22:28:28Z")
Ah, they’re 1920’s style “Death Rays.” ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/11 "2003-12-07T22:57:40Z")
All your 1920s-style death rays are belong to us. “I don’t think anyone really knows why it’s gotten so popular. It was amusing the first time I saw it. But now it’s been beaten into the ground.” [http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,42009,00.html](http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,42009,00.html) “OK, I’m obviously the dorky kid coming late to the party – can someone explain this to me?” Asked one brave poster to the message boards…" ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/12 "2003-12-07T23:00:47Z")
Oh, thank ghod. Someone just wants INFORMATION. I was afraid someone was tryin’ to resurrect the Running Gag From Hell… ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/13 "2003-12-07T23:29:20Z")
The next person who mentions 1920’s Style Death Rays is getting a 1980’s Style Ass-Whoopin’. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/14 "2003-12-07T23:29:45Z")
Ah, they’re 1920’s style “Death Rays”. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/15 "2003-12-07T23:31:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Michael Ellis \* > \*\*Ah, they’re 1920’s style “Death Rays”. \*\* That’s it, buddy! You’re soooooo toast! ---
**Author:** ![SubliminaLiar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@SubliminaLiar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SubliminaLiar)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/16 "2003-12-07T23:44:14Z")
[You won’t get ME to use that phrase here…](http://www.livejournal.com/community/sdmb/156910.html) I mean, I was lurking here when it started, and it _was_ pretty amusing; ah well, maybe I can get in on the **next** inside joke. ---
**Author:** ![SubliminaLiar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@SubliminaLiar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SubliminaLiar)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/17 "2003-12-07T23:46:26Z")
I just realized that my last link may have been against the rules here… if so, please delete it, and not **me.** Thank ya ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/18 "2003-12-08T00:01:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*That’s it, buddy! You’re soooooo toast! \*\* You know, there _only one thing_ you can use to toast him… What ever gizmo you use to burn his dog with. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-style-death-ray/217610/19 "2003-12-08T00:04:21Z")
Asked. Answered. Closed. **DrMatrix** - GQ Moderator