The New Republic magazine once held a “Most Boring Headline” contest. The winner was the title of a column by the late journalist Flora Lewis: “Worthwhile Canadian Initiative.”
Well, the year is still relatively young, but I think we have a winner in the 2009 “Most Cringe-Inducing Sentence Written by a Canadian Columnist” competition. It’s by Linda McQuaig of The Toronto Star: “With the mental toughness of Noam Chomsky and the showmanship of Mick Jagger, Galloway slices through the pro-war apologetics of political leaders like a knife through warm butter.”
I mean, she couldn’t even be bothered to come up with a reasonably fresh analogy. Although the way I usually hear it is “like a hot knife through butter.” I suppose it works either way.
(Hat tip and much respect: Terry Glavin)
Update: To what should be no one’s surprise, the government-run Tehran Times has reprinted McQuaig’s column.
