Say, sir, do you know Etaoin Shrdlu?

The other day ETAOIN SHRDLU came up in conversation. Unless you are from a long line of printers or newspapermen, you probably never knew old Etaoin. Some say he was a mistake, but he was certainly an inspirational one. Do this experiment: get a few old typesetters together (be sure to check their union cards), get them well oiled with a few rounds of whatever it is they'll be having, and casually mention Etaoin Shrdlu. I am sure you will get some good stories, stories of compositors sneaking out the window for a quick drink in the middle of their shift, stories of how the guys who worked around the big pots of molten lead lived longer than any other of the folks in the printing business, etc.

If you are still confused about who this fellow is, go here.