A tactfully suggested emendation

The NYRB characterizes the RNC delegates thus: a whiter than usual collection of politicians, aspiring politicians, true believers, and hail fellows hoping to be well met. There's no such thing as a "hail fellow" (unless, perhaps, the recipient of a grant from meteorological institutes might count); fortunately, a convenient substitute exists that not only preserves the reference to the idiom through handy homophony, but also makes sense, and is accurate, in its own right: hale fellows hoping to be well met.

Comments

[arthegall]

unless, perhaps, the recipient of a grant from meteorological institutes might count

Or maybe they are fellows who are employed as professional hailers -- town criers, or doormen.

[Irene]

Or maybe it was "true believers- and hail, fellows!- hoping to be well met." =p

[ben wolfson]

I submat this post, partially rewritten and incorporating arthegall's (but not, Irene, your; I'm sorry) suggestion, as a letter to the editor.

I hope you don't mind, a.

[arthegall]

I trust you'll post an update here, if your letter gets published...

[ben wolfson]

Are you kidding? If it gets published I'ma blow this popsicle stand.

[arthegall]

"blow this popsicle stand" s/b "bail out this over-leveraged popsicle stand that has become too big to fail."

[ehj2]

you're way braver than me. i don't mess with the hail people, the rain people, or them what can call down fire from the heavens.