We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
So, today the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association hosted John Podesta. I went to hear him speak, and I'm glad I did, not least because the lunch afterwards was excellent--they laid on a seriously impressive spread--and his comments were actually significant, once processed through the standard diplo-speak sheep-dip filters. I'll tell you all about that later. Just let me get the funny part out of the way.
Before the introduction, they show this slick promo video about doing business in Turkey. It's in English, Turkish subtitles, really high production values. Someone put a lot of money into it. It shows this kind of fantasy-Turkey that's one-third Ottoman Empire, one-third Singapore, one-third CERN Hadron collider--really good stuff, in a sci-fi way, and if I didn't actually live in Turkey and didn't realize it was about Turkey I'd have been super-keen to invest in the place in the video.
Anyway, I'm sitting next to a Turkish friend, and about midway through it strikes me--they're not calling it Turkey, they're calling it Türkiye, pronounced Tooourr-kee-yay, which is the Turkish word for Turkey. But this video is supposed to be in English. I turn to my friend and say, "What's up with the Türkiye business?"
He says, "Oh, yeah. The PR guys have been trying to do that for a while."
"Trying to do what?"
"Change the name."
"They have? Why?"
He shrugs. "They've had it with all the Thanksgiving jokes."
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May '10
Re: We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
I think it was Marx who said that some people think if you change the name of something, you change the thing itself.
Jun '10
Re: We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
Yea, but wasn't it Shakespeare who said, "A rose by any other name..."
May '10
Re: We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
Speaking of great nations, Claire, Japan has noticed this, but the NYT hasn't!?
http://www.japantoday.com/category/world/view/us-conducts-1st-subcritical-nuclear-test-under-obama-govt
Sep '10
Re: We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
I guess Greece, China, Hungary and Chile will be next in line to complain about culinary-themed nation name puns. But I don't think changing the official pronunciation slightly will help. After all, Chile is already pronounced Chil-AY by the cultured. But that never stopped me (of course, I'm not cultured). When trying to think of nation-related puns, Iraq my Bahrain in ways you wouldn't Belize; I am always Russian into bad ones and leaving my listeners (who were hoping for full pun value) thinking, "Oman, Kenya believe that? Egypt me with that joke, but what you Ghana do? He's a real Laos." Let's just say they never ask me for Samoa. No, they say you go Uruguay and we'll go ours. Can't tell you how many times that hurt my feelings and Iran off.
So you see, this project of the Turkey marketers is useless: punsters cannot be deterred; increasing the distance from actual pronunciation to pun only increases the pain.
Edited on Oct 13, 2010 at 5:49amRe: We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
outstripp: Speaking of great nations, Claire, Japan has noticed this, but the NYT hasn't!?
http://www.japantoday.com/category/world/view/us-conducts-1st-subcritical-nuclear-test-under-obama-govt · Oct 13 at 5:34am
See my post above.
Re: We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
Ed Jordan: I guess Greece, China, Hungary and Chile will be next in line to complain about culinary-themed nation name puns. But I don't think changing the official pronunciation slightly will help. After all, Chile is already pronounced Chil-AY by the cultured. But that never stopped me (of course, I'm not cultured). When trying to think of nation-related puns, Iraq my Bahrain in ways you wouldn't Belize; I am always Russian into bad ones and leaving my listeners (who were hoping for full pun value) thinking, "Oman, Kenya believe that? Egypt me with that joke, but what you Ghana do? He's a real Laos." Let's just say they never ask me for Samoa. No, they say you go Uruguay and we'll go ours. Can't tell you how many times that hurt my feelings and Iran off.
So you see, this project of the Turkey marketers is useless: punsters cannot be deterred; increasing the distance from actual pronunciation to pun only increases the pain. · Oct 13 at 5:48am
Edited on Oct 13 at 05:49 am
This problem reaches new levels when we consider the language of interplanetary diplomacy.
Aug '10
Re: We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
But I do wonder if we would like roses so much if they had somehow been named stinkweed.
And if a rose weren't called a rose, you'd lose the centuries of cultural heritage surrounding the idea "rose". Considering the evocative link between smell and memory, maybe something is lost by not calling a rose a rose (stat rosa pristina nomine and all).
As for the modern roses (grandifloras for example): no, they don't smell as sweet. They've been bred so intensely for looks that the real rose smell has gone quite out of them. I've even known folks whose only prior experience with rose odors is through modern roses to be put off by the intense fragrance of a real old-fashioned rose: the smell is so powerful that they think it does stink.
Jasmine on the other hand... A characteristic aroma compound in jasmine is indole, also a chief odor compound of human feces. So if you've ever found jasmine-scented things stinky, now you know why.
May '10
Re: We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
I used to like the smell of Jasmine. Thanks for sharing MFR.
Oct '10
Re: We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
The English used to call the bird "turkey-fowl," believing it had originated in Turkey. The Spanish had, of course, brought the turkey to the new world to the old, where it quickly became popular in the arid Mediterranean countries. (The turkey requires less food and water than the chicken.)
A century and a half later, when the English were also gobbling up turkey, the bird's new world origin was no longer common knowledge, especially not to the average Englishman.
It's believed that the Pilgrims may have actually brought turkeys with them on the Mayflower.
Sep '10
Re: We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Ed Jordan: I guess Greece, China, Hungary and Chile will be next in line to complain about culinary-themed nation name puns. .... · Oct 13 at 5:48am
Edited on Oct 13 at 05:49 am
This problem reaches new levels when we consider the language of interplanetary diplomacy. · Oct 13 at 6:06am
Ha! There is a planet with a marketing problem, that's for sure.
Aug '10
Re: We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
Ed Jordan
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Ed Jordan: I guess Greece, China, Hungary and Chile will be next in line to complain about culinary-themed nation name puns. .... · Oct 13 at 5:48am
Edited on Oct 13 at 05:49 am
This problem reaches new levels when we consider the language of interplanetary diplomacy. · Oct 13 at 6:06am
Ha! There is a planet with a marketing problem, that's for sure. · Oct 13 at 8:19am
Yes, and not even the typical British pronunciation (as opposed the American pronunciation) solves the problem.
As a teen I once listened to a whole lecture by a British astronomer in considerable confusion, and it was only after it was over that I realized he was referring to a planet, not a medical adjective.
Sep '10
Re: We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
Ed Jordan
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Ed Jordan: I guess Greece, China, Hungary and Chile will be next in line to complain about culinary-themed nation name puns. .... · Oct 13 at 5:48am
Edited on Oct 13 at 05:49 am
This problem reaches new levels when we consider the language of interplanetary diplomacy. · Oct 13 at 6:06am
Ha! There is a planet with a marketing problem, that's for sure. · Oct 13 at 8:19am
painful enough to make you go on a diet of kurds...ugh sorry, couldn't resist.
May '10
Re: We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
Please don't mention the Flems....
Edited on Nov 25, 2010 at 6:44amMay '10
Re: We Are a Great and Powerful Nation, Not a Bird, Efendim
Trace Urdan
I used to like the smell of Jasmine. Thanks for sharing MFR. · Oct 13 at 7:39am
Yes thanks Midget Faded Rattlesnake, you are Ricochet's own Billy Rubin....