> >> [Cultural explanation for non-Canadian readers: poutine is a dish from
> >> Quebec. It's made from warm french fries, topped with some cheese cut in
> >> small pieces. The french fries and the cheese are mixed together. The warm
> >> french fries make the cheese melt. Then the entire mix is topped with
> >> brown gravy.]
>has goofed almost as badly as "Dubya" did. That's *hot* french fries topped
>with freshly-made, unpressed cheddar cheese curds (not cut-up processed
>pseudo-cheese) and hot brown gravy. The dish was invented about 30 years
>ago, and the name "poutine" is etymologically related to "pudding" -- not
>the "add a package of cornstarch and artificial flavouring to milk"
>American dessert but the savoury kind of which Yorkshire pudding is the
>best-known example.
now Judyth, not to accuse you of nitpicking, but it sounds like
you're saying that the error committed ranks on an egregiousness par
with a politician not knowing the head of state of a neighbouring
country ... and that said egregiousness derives from:
(1) saying "warm french fries" instead of "hot french fries"
(2) saying "brown gravy" instead of "hot brown gravy"
(3) saying "cheese cut in small pieces" instead of "freshly-made,
unpressed cheddar cheese curds".
(4) not providing etymological history of the word poutine (unclear
whether this is part of the error or simply additional background)
Let me be honest. I can't count the number of times I've been served
fast food poutine (belle province, wherever) with french fries that
were warm, not hot; brown gravy that definitely wasn't; and cheddar
cheese that was mightily pressed and the opposite of fresh. So I may
be the especially forgiving sort; or perhaps only tended to eat
simili-poutine invented by Vancouver Province writers and imported to
Quebec, as opposed to the genuine gourmet article, whcih would
certainly explain my ignorance.
But I'm pretty convinced that the newswriter's purported gaff is
somewhere between nil and pretty infinitesimal. The inability of
the guy who is thought will occupy the White House 5 km south of
where I'm sitting right now to name his counterpart north of the
border -- Canada is, after all, the U.S.'s largest trading partner,
telephone traffic partner, etc. -- on the other hand, seems
definitely weird.
cheers
Bram
------------------------------------------------------
Bram Dov Abramson
Telecommunication Research Analyst
TeleGeography, Inc.
[EMAIL PROTECTED] tel +1 202 467 4043
http://www.telegeography.com fax +1 202 467 0851
