THE
BLUE BOX (Recycled Ideas)
by Don Cox
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A few weeks ago I started one of these columns and it refused
to go anywhere, so I decided to take a break and send you
some reruns. That left me time to read not only the Globe
and Mail, but Le Journal de Montreal as well. I enjoy catching
up on the latest biker wars, who fell through the ice and
drowned, and which police officer was charged with whatever
this week. There is a bit of international news of course,
and even some Canadian news, but it gets about a tenth of
the space that Montreal news does.
One of the fairly recent issues of Le Journal had a story
on the visit to Montreal of Pierre Pettigrew, one of the
Federal Government Ministers. It related with some gusto
the fact that Minister Pettigrew had had a pie thrown in
his face. Actually, the word used was "entarte"
(final vowel "e" is accented, but my software
can't handle it, sorry). It also gave the name of the "entarteur",
the person who threw the pie. I think this is a fine word,
and it's a pity we have no equivalent in english. The Quebecers
have it all over us in this category. "Entarter"
sums up the whole action in one word, while we are forced
to resort to some awkward phrase like "to throw a pie
in someone's face."
It doesn't stop there either. Just a couple of days ago
I read about another political event where tomatoes were
thrown and someone was "entomate." Where is this
all going I wonder, are we witnessing the beginning of a
unique politico-cultural-linguistic movement? The Quebecers
are miles ahead of us in the political arena, and in my
opinion the gap is widening. Let me give you and example.
An anglophone is describing a political meeting and can
only describe it as "an occasion where the central
event was the throwing of a pie in someone's face."
This is the height of awkwardness. The francophone on the
other hand, need mention only one word, "entartement",
and we immediately understand the complete scenario.
It's not that we english lack similar resources, a few
years ago there was an Ottawa organization called "Pie-kill"
who for $50 would arrange "to have a pie thrown in
the face of the jerk of your choice." That was elegantly
put, but it didn't have the succinct directness and panache
of "entarter."
I have to give the Globe credit for one thing however,
they published the recipe for a pie suitable for an "entartement."
I was slow off the mark that day and neglected to cut it
out, but as I recall it's not actually an edible pie. The
important thing is to have a fluffy white topping and a
filling that is less substantial than a normal pie but more
substantial than shaving cream. The effect sought is more
visual than gustative. It has to make a good show, it doesn't
have to taste good. Some would even say the whole activity
is tasteless, which makes it ideal for use on the political
scene.
Bluebox ©2001 Don Cox
Website ©2001 OttawaWEB
