How to throw a Scotsman out of your book...

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williemeikle

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I'm reading Dan Simmons' THE FIFTH HEART and come across this... a character talking about Cardhu whisky. ( the character is supposedly a noted intellectual and historian.)

"One can purchase it only in Speyside so I must travel there each time I'm in England."

He's not going to find it in England.

Simmons is usually renowned for his research and accuracy. Not this time. Unless it's just a really sloppy bit of writing, but he's not known for that.








 

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He's pretty damn sloppy when it comes to Latin.

But I read this

Simmons said:
"One can purchase it only in Speyside so I must travel there each time I'm in England."

As 'it" referring to the whiskey.

The whiskey can only be purchased in Speyside

The characters travels to Speyside (in Scotland) when he visits England.

It strikes me as less than ideal prose rather than poor research.
 
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williemeikle

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That's how I read it on a second glance too, but it still brought me up short and out of the story.

( and it's Scotch, so it's whisky, not whiskey :) )
 

williemeikle

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I checked this thread expecting you to claim that you kilt him...

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Marlys

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You can buy it in Indianapolis, too. I have a bottle in the kitchen.
 

Once!

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Odd sentence! It seems to be (just about) geographically and grammatically correct - when he goes to England he feels the need to travel to Scotland to buy Cardhu whisky. But it does seem like a clumsy way to say it.

And I'm not so sure it's true that he would have to go to the distillery to get it. Cardhu is a well known and widely available whisky.

Yup, I'd raise an eyebrow at that sentence, too.
 

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Whisky is best served neat. Maybe a drop or three of water. Vizine is better on the rocks.
 

Fruitbat

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It's available here, too. We used to buy it all the time when we had more disposable income. The Whisky, not the eye drops.

I thought you meant the ass. Haha.
 

Usher

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But I read this
As 'it" referring to the whiskey.

The whiskey can only be purchased in Speyside

Speyside only makes whisky (no "e"). Whisky can only be made from malt barley. Whereas whiskey can be from a variety of grains. A lot of the distilleries do have whisky that you can only purchase from their shop.
 
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