Ian, Tweets:
The Seattle Times picked up the AP version of the this story in this
morning's paper. It is a longer, much more humorous version. The link is
below.
And yes, when I started birding, I was surprised that there was such a thing
as a snipe, because I remembered all the jokes about snipe hunts from when I
was a kid at camp.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/134448343_snipehunt04.html

-----Original Message-----
From: ian paulsen <ipaulsen at krl.org>
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Date: Saturday, May 04, 2002 10:15 AM
Subject: [BIRDCHAT] Snipe & cultural misconceptions (fwd)


>HI ALL:
> Someone might find this interesting or maybe not!
>
>Ian Paulsen
>Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
>ipaulsen at krl.org
>A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
>"Rallidae all the way"
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 07:29:46 -0600
>From: David White <drmwhite at NETS.COM>
>To: BIRDCHAT at listserv.arizona.edu
>Subject: [BIRDCHAT] Snipe & cultural misconceptions
>
>Good morning, Chatters.
>The Associated Press reported this morning that there is a culture clash
going on between American and British peacekeeping forces in Kabul, because
the British chose to name a pursuit mission "Operation Snipe."
>To the Brits, this means an organized bird shoot. To the Americans it has
implications of a "wild goose chase." The AP reported angry reactions from
some U.S. military personnel...
>I knew that many people incorrectly believe snipe are nonexistent; I
recently mentioned having seen a snipe to my Dad (born in 1910) and he was
incredulous--having been sent to hold the bag by some older teens, when he
was growing up in West Texas.
>But I was surprised to see that The Dictionary of American Slang has been
taken in--hoaxed by the hoax, as it were--as it calls snipe "a nonexistent
animal."
>
>David White
>drmwhite at nets.com
>Santa Fe NM
>
>
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>