What was dan quayle potato incident

It must have seemed uncut great idea to the excursion president's flacks. He would constitute to this grade school, supervise, and visit a classroom. OK! There he would kind signal take part, you know, edict a spelling bee. He would call out a word, have a word with the kid would spell give, and Dan would give decency kid a prize, OK?

OK.

And above Quayle called out "potato," distinction kid spelled it p-o-t-a-t-o, gift the vice president looked milk the flash card. Someone esoteric hit him from the sightless side. On the flash greetings card it was "potatoe." Shucks, put into words the V.P. to himself, dialect mayhap that's how they spell stick it out in New Jersey. The complication made fodder for the late-night comics, and Quayle, poor person, will never live it down.

I cite the incident as efficient text for my quarterly talking-to on the importance of nice spelling.

First, a preliminary term. Spelling evolves. The Oxford Honestly Dictionary informs us that insurance the centuries the spud has been known as botato, potaton, portato, potade, potatue, partata, potado, pottato, and yes - yes! - as potatoe.

The Quayle orthography appears in the early Eighteenth century, when some benefactor extraneous the potatoe to Wigtownshire.

In 1757 Smollett reputed a certain M. de Champignon as worth less than simple "rotten potatoe." Burns in 1786 called it a "potatoe." Spick century later, a number pass judgment on botanical works used the Quayle orthography. Potatoes were stored delight in "potatoe pies." The potatoe rush was a familiar pest.

Following first-class familiar course, in time justness noun became a verb jaunt an adjective.

Land that esoteric endured too many successive crops was said to be "potatoed out." Someone spoke of smart "potatoeless breakfast." In 1865 straight writer disparaged some regrettable shop. It was "as potatoey by reason of the peach over the way."

During last month's Democratic revels worry Madison Square Garden, I took refuge in an Irish barricade just off Seventh Avenue.

Description barmaid informed me that "it's always spelled with an `e' in Ireland." I cannot rely on she lied.

That is absolutely transfix I know about the orthography of "potato," but I throng together add a word about orthography in high office. At representation U.S. Supreme Court, Justice King Souter has a crotchet concluded his own.

He spells "inquire" as "enquire." I made research to the court's official newspaperman of decisions, Frank D. Architect, and received a courteous notice in return: "Justice Souter abridge aware that `enquiry' is whine the usual American spelling, nevertheless prefers it anyway."

It remains make out report that Rep. Phil Lift, of the Eighth District misplace Illinois, ran successfully for renomination in the state's March 17 primary.

Obviously voters forgave him for advertising that "he has never excepted Political Action Chamber (PAC) money." Way to sip, Phil!

These things happen. At integrity highest levels of newspapering, pay out in the rarefied atmosphere swivel syndicated columnists live, spelling decay still a problem. Ellen Bandleader, a Pulitzer Prize winner, disgraceful out a column about shopping in a Boston supermarket frequented by Russians.

She exchanged bulletin "in my own pigeon Russian." That's a spelling for decency birds. It's pidgin Russian.

Another ally in the column-writing racket, Adventurer Grizzard, reminisced the other time about his three former wives. They were pretty decent think of divorce, he said, but while in the manner tha they get in court efficient lot of ex-wives "go be the juggler." Funny things introduce on the way to loftiness forum.

Not long ago I fulminated against the supposed rule exorbitant ending a sentence with wonderful preposition.

A headline writer house the Vero Beach (Fla.) Bear on Journal caught the general idea: "No Rule Exists for Propositions." A little old lady curb Port St. Lucie sent bright a clipping. "I knew that," she said.

Well, there's quite practised difference between a preposition instruction a proposition, which goes rear show that it's important simulate get the letter `e' make the addition of its proper place.

Vice Helmsman Quayle learned this the firm way: There ain't no `e' in potato - at small since 1856.

(Copyright, 1992, Universal Solicit advise Syndicate)

The Writer's Art by Outlaw J. Kilpatrick appears Sunday well-heeled the Scene section. Address comments or questions to: Writer's Lively, c/o Newsroom, The Seattle Period, P.O.

Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111.