There's an old saying - actually mine - that those who simply can't stand the author, criticize the commas. Let's consider the Preacher, the man who must always straighten out the monkeys lest they revolt. This time it happened in a thread mostly (and legitimately) praising the book "Rum" by the inestimable Dave Broom.
Dave Broom is a true expert, genius, writer, taster and appraiser of fine spirits, mostly single malts but also rum. He has forgotten more about spirits that all the rest of know. Accordingly, it appears the Preacher can't stand him.
It all started when I quoted Dave Broom's comparative analysis of cane juice rums, which found that Martinique's overpriced AOC offerings lacking in both consistency and overall quality, particularly when compared to those of Barbancourt. The summarized ratings were from Broom's "Rum".
The Prophet went nuts, er bananas, and allowed comments like "...what does he know, he's an Englishman", et al. Here's the latest from a Shillery thread about Dave's tome...
Excellent book?! Blemish? The Preacher just hadda wade in...Monkey Clone: "I agree that this is an excellent book. There is, however, one blemish. In the chapter on Guyana, the adjective "Guyanan" is used in a couple of places.There is no such word as "Guyanan". The correct term is Guyanese."
Hasn't been in the country?! (The Preacher loves to remind his mob of his avast time sailing the Carib and visiting its many rum shops). It's obvious that the Preacher hasn't read Broom's treatise, or maybe he just spent too much time counting commas. Check it out...The Preacher: "Unfortunately, that kind of mistake happens when the editor hasn't been in the country. In the islands I hear radio advertising all the time that contains mispronounced island and city names. Every time a radio announcer talks about AnteeGua everyone knows they haven't been to Antigua or were oblivious to the more than 100,000 people who pronounce the name of their island AnteeGa."
Too bad he didn't need the comma after "Trinidad", right my dear Prophet? And it won't take any of you but a couple seconds to find out that "Guyanan" and "Guyanese" are both legitimate synonyms that appear in a number of dictionaries, eg...Dave Broom (Introduction to "Rum)": "...I've sipped cocktails in Havana, limed (hung out) in Guyana, sampled Carnival in Trinidad, and met generous, talented people who have spent their working lives creating some of the finest spirits you will ever taste."
Let's cut the crap, shall we?World English Dictionary: "Guyanese or Guyanan (ˌɡaɪəˈniːz, ɡaɪˈænən) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
— adj
1. of or relating to Guyana or its inhabitants
— adj
2. a native or inhabitant of Guyana"
Bottom line:
Dave Broom is perhaps rum's only legitimate, independent expert on rum. Compare to Michael Jackson or Robert Parker. He has forgotten more about spirits than the rest of us know. And his book "Rum" is really and truly a must own (reviewed here at The Rum Project). Seriously, if you can only own one book on rum, this is it.
Comma, er, period.
