Friday, August 30, 2013

What do you call a group of horses?

A herd of horses?

I thought the most interesting picture caption story today (Aug 30) was this one in TODAY:



Why so? The picture shows our foreign minister posing, with his Chinese counterpart, under a painting. The occasion was the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers Meeting, held in Beijing. I am sure the other nine ASEAN ministers were led -- separately of course -- to the same room, and asked to pose with Mr Wang Yi. I am only speculating but perhaps the picture of a horseman reining in some horses has significance to a Chinese audience. I repeat, I am only speculating.

But, interesting, some 20 years back, a Chinese scholar told me that when Nixon -- on his ground-breaking visit to China in 1972 -- was taken amid much pomp and fanfare to the Great Hall of the People to call on the Chinese leaders, with the Western and Chinese media in full attendance, cameras clicking away, the entrance that was used was the one for lower-ranking people. It looked grand enough, but the one that Mao and the other CCP bigwigs used was another one.


Was my ANU contemporary pulling my leg? I don't know.

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Be careful, you may get what you ask for!

Great cartoon in ST...


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Rock it, man!

I thought this science story in ST was pretty interesting too...

  
It's a No-brainer!

... as was this one too:


And I just love the quote!


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I don't talk to horses, I'm a horse whisperer?

Finally, I was wondering what to call a collective of horses. I came across this online "exchange":

A: What is the collective noun for horses?

B: Herd of horses.

A: Of course I've heard of horses.

B: I mean a horse herd.

A: Why do I care what a horse heard? I don't talk to horses!

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