It's supposed to mean as clear as the pin-sharp peal from a tibettan monk's religeous ceremony bell, struck firmly but crisply to call the attention of the monk gathering to the duty at hand. However, it has come to mean (most often): As clear as the dinner-bell at the nearest junior children's school, if carefully wrapped in a felt bag and rung by the smallest, weakest child at the school WHILE having his/her head dunked in the toilet basin nearest the center of the building. Assuming the actual "striker" is still being stored in the headmaster's desk drawer as a lesson to children who have no consideration for hangovers. Cheers, Cliff Bowman PS I take it you are a fellow sufferer of DAZ's attempts at being useful, friendly, and infrmative... and going a bit overboard?