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Fell like nine pins by the wayside

Posted by Smokey Stover on June 15, 2006

In Reply to: Fell like nine pins by the wayside posted by ESC on June 14, 2006

: : : fell like nine pins by the wayside

: : From www.pepysdiary.com/ p/684.php

: : Ninepins -- A game played with nine pins, or pieces of wood, set on end, at which a wooden ball is bowled to knock them down; bowling.

Perhaps Nikhil (does that name mean what it sounds likel?) wants to know in what fashion the people fell, and perhaps it is not obvious what it means to fall like bowling pins. My guess is that the author means they all fell down in different orientations or postures, but pretty much all at the same time, and fell where they stood. SS

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