LOWDOWN Summer 2008 page 19
STAMPING OUT BASSETS?
This item was sent in by Jim McGough
(Ed. Many thanks for this, Jim. I have seen Basset Hounds featured on quite a few stamps around the world. In the case of this one, it would be really interesting to know why they were used. Anyhow, it must be quite unusual for an Islamic state to choose dogs as an emblem on its stamps. Well, maybe an Afghan or a Saluki, but a Basset? Does anyone have any clues about this? Also, I am just very impressed that we have an Arabic translator as a member! Here are some other stamps from around the world - again, some Islamic.)
(WM. All credit to Jim for spotting the anomaly, but am I missing something? As someone, whose own language training was nipped in the bud by the unruly behaviour of another, he releasing a large and heavy venetian blind so that it fell onto the head of our young, French, French singing, teacher whilst she sat on the classroom window seat chanting ‘Sur le pont d’Avignon, L’on y danse, l’on y danse, Sur le pont d’Avignon, L’on y danse tous en rond, Les beaux messieurs font comm’ çà,’ or some such ditty, resultant in her fleeing back to France together with the dropping of all language learning in my school and as one who has, perhaps as a result, plus admittedly due to the lack of sufficient personal effort at language learning since, great admiration for all linguists, but isn’t the word DACHSHUNDS, non Arabic, printed vertically on the left side of the stamp?
Eagle eyed avid LOWDOWN readers,
and I hope you all have by now read and reread your copies, will spot a
different stamp in the line up of other stamps.)
