- By Jim Evans
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Smart TalkSMART TALK By Dr. Saber S. Poder
THE LA BREA TAR PITS: Some years back, my colleague, Dr. Verbos Metikulos, came to the Institute for the Linguistically Impaired from his native Greece. Speaking perfect English, he fit right in with the rest of the staff and seemed content. But today, he was clearly upset. He strode into my office, threw a magazine onto my desk, and started pacing.
"What are they thinking?" he shouted. "In 2007 they don't know enough Spanish to know that La Brea means ‘The Tar?' Who would name a place The The Tar Tar Pits? It could only be worse if they called it The La Brea Hoyos Tar Pits!"
I could only nod ruefully and tell him that redundant place names are as American as redundant government programs.
Then I took out a map and showed him the Rio Grande River.
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