different planet

[Joel S. Berson]

At 4/21/2010 04:51 AM, Michael Quinion wrote:
> > > Even Rowe-Dent's
> > > suddenly feeling her age, dehyphenating her operation - "Hey there, Pippa
> > > Dent is on Twitter!" - and trying to explain the big society (all yours,
> > > darling), instead of relying on Ashcroft-funded botox and wicked Ron's
> > > gazebo to sweep her into power.
>
>I suspect most British people would have trouble with bits of that. It's a
>satirical column about a fictional Labour candidate in the current general
>election (Nestyn is not a real place). But dehyphenation, to pull one term
>at random, is a minor but real trend, as one Conservative candidate at
>least with a double-barrelled name (the Pippa Rowe-Dent of the piece) has
>shortened it so as not to appear so upper class.

On this planet, even quite middling women -- and men -- are taking up
hyphenation, joining with the names of their spouses.

Michael, how soon will it be before Pippa Dent becomes Pepsi-Dent?

Joel

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