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Letters published in the Irish Times

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Letters published in the Sunday Times

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Letters published in the Irish Independent

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Letters submitted but not published in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009

Contents
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Small goods - 3rd June 1995

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Hypotenuse - 12th February 2000

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Rail safety (in the UK) - 9th December 2000

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A bird's tale - 19th December 2006

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A city on a hill - 14th March 2009

THE ECONOMIST 3rd-9th JUNE 1995

economist-toe.JPG (214356 bytes)                Available in print issue only (no internet version)

Small goods

SIR-As you discuss the gradual shift of rich economies from manufacturing to services, as well as the slow merging of the two elements, I have noticed a subtle shift in your own metaphor for manufacturing. For years, you have described it as the business of producing things you can drop on your foot (something you cannot do with services). Yet of late, most recently in your May 6th issue ("Name calling and its perils"), manufacturing has inexplicably become associated with objects you can drop on your toe.

The things you drop are obviously getting smaller. Will the next victim be your toenail ? And after that, no victim at all - signifying that manufacturing and services have finally become indistinguishable ?

TONY ALLWRIGHT
The Hague

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Hypotenuse

THE ECONOMIST 12TH FEBRUARY 2000 
http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=280540

SIR—Since Mr Robinson is evidently a geometrically curious fourth line of a triangle**, and the hypotenuse at that, please clarify which of the three esteemed ministers he is lying alongside (no innuendo please), and what are the policies or characteristics of the other two that have resulted in them lying at right angles to each other. Is this all part of New Labour’s joined-up government?

TONY ALLWRIGHT
Killiney Heath,
Ireland

**ref : http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=277390

bullethttp://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=289660

SIR—Dennis Woodman and Tony Allwright (Letters, February 12th) refer to Bagehot and political triangles. In fact, the hypotenuse is a line between two angles, so what is wrong with a fourth person being the hypotenuse between two of the three people who are presumably at the points of the triangle? The question then arises, which of the three is right and which two are a
cute (although, surprisingly, none is obtuse)?

KEITH WATSON
Hong Kong

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THE ECONOMIST 8th DECEMBER 2000
http://www.economist.com/node/444067

Subject : Rail Safety (in the UK)

SIR—The whole concept of ATPS needs to be questioned, since it excludes from the safety loop the most important players—employees. For example, with the driver freed of the necessity to react to red lights since the ATPS will do it for him, it is inevitable that his overall awareness will flag and pave the way for other hazards to emerge.

Nothing is easier, flashier and more satisfying than writing a big cheque (using someone else’s money) for a fancy new piece of hardware such as ATPS and declaring the problem solved. However, as you work down the list of other safety features, though things cost less money and are increasingly effective, they require more and continuous management effort and are less glamorous for the bosses. But if you are genuinely passionate about avoiding blood loss, there is no other route to continuous safety improvement.

TONY ALLWRIGHT Killiney, Ireland

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THE ECONOMIST 19th DECEMBER 2006
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8447435

A Bird's Tale

Three letters appeared, with mine - as shown in red - sandwiched in the middle.  My original letter, before the editor's deletions (as indicated below, after the letters), covered most of the territory of the other two letters. 

SIR – Naile Berna Kovuk's indignation at Turkey being named after poultry is misplaced (Letters, December 2nd). The bird was actually named after the presumed country of origin, not vice versa. When first encountered, the turkey was confused with guinea-fowl, known then as turkeycocks. They were introduced to Europe from their native Africa via Turkey. The rest is (etymological) history.

Michael Metcalf
New York

SIR – English merchants in Turkey discovered a most delicious bird to eat and exported it back to England, where it became very popular, and was known as a “Turkey bird” or simply a turkey. There are odd names for a turkey in other languages as well, where the bird always seems to have come from somewhere else. In Turkey itself it is known as hindi (meaning from India), in Italy tacchino (peacock) or pollo d'India (India again); in Arabic it is called an “Ethiopian bird”.

Tony Allwright
Killiney, Ireland

SIR – The Poles call the same species indyk, perhaps after the French name for it, dinde (of the Indies). The Portuguese call it peru. The turkey is a truly global bird and should be used as a fitting symbol for the next round of World Trade Organisation talks.

Konrad Brodzinski
London

My original letter, showing the editor's deletions ...

SIR, - Only in English is my home country named after poultry. Its proper name is Turkiye, meaning the land of the Turks, says Naile Berna Kovuk (Letters, November 30th). He's got it back-to-front. It is the poultry of that name which is named after his country.

Long before Europeans discovered America, English merchants in Turkey had discovered the çulluk, a most delicious bird to eat [and exported]. They began exporting it back to England, where it became very popular, and was known as a ‘Turkey bird’ or simply a ‘turkey’. Then, when the English came to America, they noticed large edible birds which looked like big versions of çulluks, so they called them ‘turkey’ also, which has stuck to this day.

Yet there are odd names for a turkey in other languages as well, where the bird always seems to have come from somewhere else. In Turkey itself it is known as hindi (meaning from India); in France dinde (also from India); in Italy tacchino (peacock) or pollo d'India (India again); in Brazil it's peru; in Greece gallapoula (French girl); in Arabic an Ethiopian bird; in Persian it's buchalamun (a chameleon). And in India, it's a turkey. Yours etc,

The letter is based on a blogpost I wrote in October 2004 entitled Talking Turkey”.

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http://www.economist.com/blogs/theinbox/2007/01/sevenfaced_bird

SIR —

 
I was interested to read your correspondence about turkeys (Letters, December 2nd and 23rd). Your correspondent Tony Allwright is quite correct that there are odd names for a turkey in several languages but he does not mention one of the strangest of all. In Japanese a turkey is 'schichimencho', meaning literally 'seven-faced bird'!
  
Trenchard

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A city on a hill

THE ECONOMIST 14th March 2009
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13272018

 Arnold Scharzenegger, unbalancedSIR – I must protest at the photograph of California’s governor in your article on the state’s fiscal crisis (“The ungovernable state”, February 21st). The laws of physics will simply not permit Arnold Schwarzenegger, even as the Terminator, to carry a coffin, empty or otherwise, on one shoulder while the position of his body is, as shown, vertical. He would simply fall over to his left, unless his body curved rightward to ensure his combined centre of gravity remained within the area defined by his feet.

Perhaps the photo was used to illustrate that he is, indeed, falling to his left under the burden of unsustainable social and pork-barrel spending. Alternatively, the “coffin” is no more than an empty polystyrene box designed to deceive Californians into believing he has got firm control of the dead weight the state imposes on its beleaguered taxpayers, and that the budget is as firmly balanced as he is. Either way, it augurs ill for Californians.

Tony Allwright
Killiney, Ireland

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