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8 - Orono Weekly Times Wednesday, August 18, 2004 Basic Black by Arthur Black Have a nice eh In his book Colombo's Canadian References, John Robert Colombo defines 'eh?' as 'a colloquial expression meaning, "What did you say?"'. Mister Colombo is correct, as far as he goes - but that's not nearly far enough. As any card-carrying Canuck can attest, 'eh' is much more than a monosyllabic request for repetition repetition or clarification. 'Eh' is the primary Lego block of Canadian slang. In some parts of the country, 'eh' festoons casual conversation like blueberries blueberries on a hillside. "So I was walkin' down the trail, eh? And suddenly there's this moose, eh? Well, I only got the four-ten with me, eh? So ennyways I drops back, eh? And...." And so on. The popular conception is that 'eh' is purest Hoserspeak, a redneck affliction affliction restricted to taverns, bingo halls, hockey arenas, fish camps and other hick hangouts where guys in plaid jackets wearing ball caps over their mullets tend to congregate congregate to drink beer from the bottle and converse in monosyllables. monosyllables. Not true. I have heard the word 'eh' tumble from the lips of professors, police officers and politicians. The only thing the speakers had in common common was their passport. 'Eh' is nothing if not egalitarian. Other tongues have linguistic linguistic crutches that are something something like our 'eh'. The French cobble a 'n'est-pas' on to many .of their sentences. The Spanish throw in superfluous 'si's' and 'verdad's'. Germans often tack on a 'ja' to flesh out a statement. Americans fall back on 'huh' - as in "Weird weather we're having, huh?" But none of them are quite as elastic or ubiquitous as the good ol' Canadian 'eh'. Not that it gets any respect. The British writer/fop Qùentin Crisp was appalled when on his first trip to Canada a Customs and Immigration official at the Toronto airport stamped his passport, looked up with a cheery grin and said: "Vindicated at last, eh?" "You're too kind," Crisp muttered witheringly and moved on. Later he wrote about the 'eh' phenomenon, calling it "a species of linguistic linguistic dim-witticism to which Canadians are addicted." Well, how can we plead but guilty as charged, eh? The expression is as Canadian as back bacon, maple syrup, GST and Rocket Richard, right? Wrong. Turns out that the word is cosmopolitan, cross- cultural and goes all the way back to the Middle Ages. It was popular enough by 1773 for Oliver Goldsmith to use it in his play She Stoops to Conquer. In 1851, Herman Melville thought so highly of what my Oxford English Dictionary grandly defines it as the 'interjectional interrogative interrogative particle often inviting assent to the sentiment expressed' that he threw it into Moby Dick. Eighteen times. "But flukes! Man, what makes thee want to go whaling, whaling, eh?" Still, if 'eh' wasn't born in Canada, it certain took out Canadian citizenship papers as soon as it washed ashore. A recent survey of first-year University of Toronto students reveals some intriguing commonalities. commonalities. Asked to name distinctive Canadian things, the kids cited hockey, the Maple Leaf flag, our currency, peacekeeping, Canadian beer... And 'eh'. Ninety-four percent of the university students said they were familiar with - and generally generally fond of - the expression, even though they admitted using it was something less than high-class. Elaine Gold, who conducted conducted the survey recalls: "One of the students' comments was so cute. He said, 'I was kind of proud when it slipped out of my mouth for the first time.'" "They're very aware of it and do see it as Canadian," said Gold. Me too. "Eh' may not be elegant but it's as hardy as a beaver's incisor and as handy as a Robertson screwdriver (also Canadian) 'Eh' is something something you stand a very good chance of hearing shoehomed into any conversation from Tuktoyaktuk to Trois Rivieres; from the Queen Charlottes to Come By Chance. And if you're a Canadian who considers that fact to be bush league, low-class and altogether hard to accept, I can only offer the advice proffered by those stalwart Canadian icons, the brothers McKenzie: Bob and Doug. Take off, eh? DISTRESS CENTRE DURHAM FEELING CORNERED? SCARED? ALONE? Distress Centre Durham offers a free, confidential, 24-hour, help-line service. Call 905-433-1121 or 1-800-452-0688. To volunteer call 905-7234461 or visit: www.distress centredurham.com for info. Why lose sleep over home heating rates? sLy;..,: T.V v: , V,'; mb?:.... . .w .. Now available in Clarington only at FRED'S AUTOBODY 163 Baseline Road, Unit 1 Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3L4 Tel: (905) 623-6353 Fax: 905-623-3913 E-mail: FAB@on.albn.com Fred DeVries, owner . FREE ESTIMATES • COMPETITIVE RATES •INSURANCE CLAIMS Complete Collision Repair, Restoration and Refinishing Silk 9» Durham Central Fair Parade Saturday, September nth ■; V, V r 1 ■ .. '■'ÊÊÉËÊ- Comfort Rate Program U j, ÜÎ.M fjiL&Iu&k v/i i ■ , 6 ' - •" v, 1 Ÿ I ■ ,v: : ' ME ■ . • -, • Wtfj • v; rilftjl 1 )] ilïàMSMiEl This year's parade theme is: 'AGRICULTURE AROUNV THE WORLD" Introducing the Esso Comfort Rate Program. We want you to be worry-free when it comes to rising heating oil prices. That's why we've created the Esso Comfort Rate Program. We'll guarantee that you'll never pay mote than 61.9$/litre, and if market prices go below the "Comfort Rate*," you pay the lower price. For a low enrollment fee of $50, you can save all season long. So get comfortable and call us before September 30, 2004 to enroll. 1-866-749-ESSO (3776). t Trademarks ol Imperial Oil Limited, Imperial Oil, licensee, im Trademark ol Exxon Mobil Corporation or one ol its subsidiaries. * Comfort Unto applies from September 1,200-1 thru May 31,200!i and Is only available to residential Home I leal customers in participating worm, (Esso) Home Heat We bring comfort home." 1 ☆ Entrants should line up at Orono Cemetery at 10:00am ☆Judging begins at 10:30am ☆Parade starts at 11:30am Float Categories: ★ Best Youth Group Float ( 15 years & under) ir Best Neighbourhood Float ★ Best Family Float ★ Best Parade Theme Float ★ Best Musical Entry ★ Best School 1st Prize $40 ★ 2nd Prize $20 Lots of Prize money also available for Decorated Bicycle (12 years and under) Non-Motorized Floats (12 years and under) "N clownt I NOTE :To be assured a spot in the parade, you must PRE-REGISTER by Sept. 9th, by calling 905-983- 5750 or 905-983-9092