Comments on: The Unfortunate Error of the Manolo http://shoeblogs.com/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/ Manolo Loves the Shoes! Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:32:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: elayne http://shoeblogs.com/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-507429 elayne Sun, 05 Aug 2007 02:44:15 +0000 http://shoeblogs.com/wordpress/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-507429 Worry not. Just last night I was rereading one of my favorite authors, particularly a scene in which Commander Vimes of the police force of the city of Ankh-Morpork (who is also, by marriage, Ankh-Morprok's Duke) is instructed to go to the (city, country, area) of Bonk for political business. Taken aback by the name, Vimes says, shocked, "...Bonk?" His trusty right hand man says, "It's properly pronounced bey-onk. And there are only so many syllables in the human language. In [faroff place], 'morpork' is the name for a rather indecent item of ladies' underclothing." We humans only have so many sounds to work with. As long as we use them with grace, dignity, respect, and wit - and accept corrections where necessary - the world will be a better place. Worry not.

Just last night I was rereading one of my favorite authors, particularly a scene in which Commander Vimes of the police force of the city of Ankh-Morpork (who is also, by marriage, Ankh-Morprok’s Duke) is instructed to go to the (city, country, area) of Bonk for political business.
Taken aback by the name, Vimes says, shocked, “…Bonk?”
His trusty right hand man says, “It’s properly pronounced bey-onk. And there are only so many syllables in the human language. In [faroff place], ‘morpork’ is the name for a rather indecent item of ladies’ underclothing.”

We humans only have so many sounds to work with. As long as we use them with grace, dignity, respect, and wit - and accept corrections where necessary - the world will be a better place.

]]> By: Laura http://shoeblogs.com/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-506270 Laura Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:40:23 +0000 http://shoeblogs.com/wordpress/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-506270 Manolo, Your entirely-appropriate and gentlemanly apology makes me think warmly of you. It is indeed hard to know all the implications of words we might say -- especially words that cross language boundaries in unexpected fashions. And when the problem came to light, you did the right thing, graciously, rather than becoming defensive or unpleasant. I, for one, appreciate it. Manolo,

Your entirely-appropriate and gentlemanly apology makes me think warmly of you. It is indeed hard to know all the implications of words we might say — especially words that cross language boundaries in unexpected fashions. And when the problem came to light, you did the right thing, graciously, rather than becoming defensive or unpleasant. I, for one, appreciate it.

]]> By: Gorgeous Things http://shoeblogs.com/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-506139 Gorgeous Things Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:35:06 +0000 http://shoeblogs.com/wordpress/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-506139 Oh, Dear Manolo, I would have thought of the lime used in Indonesian cooking and my rijstaffel. I had no idea it was such a vile slur. I made a similar mistake when I did a post and one of my readers kindly and privately pointed out that the word I used, which is a nonsense word here in the US, in Great Britain is slang for the act of procreation. I was mortified. I know you had only good intentions in your post. Oh, Dear Manolo, I would have thought of the lime used in Indonesian cooking and my rijstaffel. I had no idea it was such a vile slur. I made a similar mistake when I did a post and one of my readers kindly and privately pointed out that the word I used, which is a nonsense word here in the US, in Great Britain is slang for the act of procreation. I was mortified. I know you had only good intentions in your post.

]]> By: VeddyVeddyBadAng http://shoeblogs.com/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-504967 VeddyVeddyBadAng Tue, 31 Jul 2007 18:51:43 +0000 http://shoeblogs.com/wordpress/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-504967 MRL, an excellent example of an often misunderstood word! Very apropo. MRL, an excellent example of an often misunderstood word! Very apropo.

]]> By: Ninjarina http://shoeblogs.com/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-504767 Ninjarina Tue, 31 Jul 2007 05:09:27 +0000 http://shoeblogs.com/wordpress/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-504767 Thank you for handling this with the utmost grace. I believe that it was not your intention to offend and in fact, you were merely stating the name that the company had given the shoe - an honest mistake. I first thought of "kefir" the milk/yoghurt drink myself. Thank you for handling this with the utmost grace. I believe that it was not your intention to offend and in fact, you were merely stating the name that the company had given the shoe - an honest mistake.

I first thought of “kefir” the milk/yoghurt drink myself.

]]> By: Obis Sister http://shoeblogs.com/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-504726 Obis Sister Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:16:37 +0000 http://shoeblogs.com/wordpress/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-504726 Don't apologize. You didn't know and the "Overly Sensitive" need to get a life. See http://www.slate.com/id/2171371/fr/flyout Don’t apologize. You didn’t know and the “Overly Sensitive” need to get a life. See http://www.slate.com/id/2171371/fr/flyout

]]> By: zvi http://shoeblogs.com/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-504644 zvi Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:01:22 +0000 http://shoeblogs.com/wordpress/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-504644 Thank you, Manolo, for being a considerate human being, apologizing when you have offended, and working to correct the offense. I know (and Mathews M. knew) that you didn't intend to offend. What so many people who find themselves in a similar position to yourself don't seem to grasp is that, after the offensive has been explained to you, clinging to the use of the offended term is <em>now</em> an intentional offense. If there were a shoemaven who used the term 'kaffir', was corrected, and refused to change, they would have decided that shoes were more important than not insulting people. I'm glad that you realize that people are more important than shoes. Not everyone does. Thank you, Manolo, for being a considerate human being, apologizing when you have offended, and working to correct the offense. I know (and Mathews M. knew) that you didn’t intend to offend. What so many people who find themselves in a similar position to yourself don’t seem to grasp is that, after the offensive has been explained to you, clinging to the use of the offended term is now an intentional offense. If there were a shoemaven who used the term ‘kaffir’, was corrected, and refused to change, they would have decided that shoes were more important than not insulting people. I’m glad that you realize that people are more important than shoes. Not everyone does.

]]> By: MRL http://shoeblogs.com/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-504600 MRL Mon, 30 Jul 2007 17:43:53 +0000 http://shoeblogs.com/wordpress/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-504600 The Manolo has been way too apologetic about this, and we, his readers, have to way to niggardly in our praise of him. The Manolo has been way too apologetic about this, and we, his readers, have to way to niggardly in our praise of him.

]]> By: Amber http://shoeblogs.com/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-504530 Amber Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:25:53 +0000 http://shoeblogs.com/wordpress/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-504530 I thought kaffir was a type of lime! I thought kaffir was a type of lime!

]]> By: Phyllis http://shoeblogs.com/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-504272 Phyllis Mon, 30 Jul 2007 01:13:44 +0000 http://shoeblogs.com/wordpress/2007/07/27/the-unfortunate-error-of-the-manolo/#comment-504272 I'm another person in the citrus category. I’m another person in the citrus category.

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