What is meant by a 'Rose Mary Stretch' in America? trends now
QUESTION What is meant by a 'Rose Mary Stretch' in America?
The Watergate scandal was a political controversy in the United States during the 1970s.
It involved the Nixon administration's attempt to cover up its involvement in the burglary of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C.
One of its enduring mysteries was just what was said during a suspicious 18-minute gap on the Watergate tape, a 79-minute conversation between Richard Nixon and his chief of staff, H. R. 'Bob' Haldeman.
Under cross-examination in a federal courtroom, Nixon's personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods (1917-2005) attempted to provide an explanation.
She claimed that while she'd been transcribing and typing the conversations of June 20, 1972, the telephone rang.
Under cross-examination in a federal courtroom, Nixon's personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods (right) attempted to provide an explanation
As she stretched for the phone she accidentally pressed the wrong pedal on her foot-controlled Uher 5000 tape recorder, resulting in the erasure.
Judge John Sirica asked her to re-enact the procedure. Woods physically demonstrated how she leaned back and stretched to reach the phone with her hand while her foot was on the pedal.
It was a highly contorted and unconvincing performance that would come to be known as the 'Rose Mary Stretch', one that 'stretched' the gullibility of the court.
The cover-up eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in August 1974.
Gillian Coley, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
QUESTION What was the infamous 'double diffuser' which propelled Brawn GP to the 2009 F1 world championship?
The Brawn double diffuser was a design innovation featured on the Brawn GP BGP001 Formula 1 car during the 2009 F1 season. It was significant in contributing to Jenson Button's success that year.
The double diffuser was a part of the car's rear aerodynamics. The diffuser is a section of the car's underbody that accelerates airflow, creating downforce, which improves grip and stability through corners.
The double diffuser concept exploited a loophole in the regulations that allowed teams to have an additional diffuser channel by creating a split level design.
This design effectively increased the volume of air that could pass
