Mettle vs. metal

I was confused by the headline on Page 3, Dec. 23: ``Firebombing in N.Y. Tests the Metal of a Tough Breed.''

Are New Yorkers, resilient to begin with, as we all know, in reality some sort of alloy, such as aluminum, perhaps? Or were the people on the subway who escaped the worst of the blast wearing full metal flak jackets? I searched the article for a play on words, to which we in the nation's capital are often subjected by the Washington Post, but no.

Beware the complacency that comes with a spell-check program. What you meant was mettle. Jo Uncapher, Washington

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