Smiley Anders for Jan. 7, 2009

• By SMILEY ANDERS
• Advocate columnist
• Published: Jan 7, 2009 - Page: 1B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

Chuck Falcon, of Donaldsonville, says our mention of cell phones in public places “reminds me of what happened to my wife.

“Her ring tone is ‘You Can’t Touch This’ by MC Hammer.

“She was attending a funeral, and while in the graveyard, when everyone was silent, it rang and started blaring out that song.

“My ring tone is ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’ by Percy Sledge.

“This got me to thinking — maybe there is a message in her ring tone.”

It could be worse
The above message about a ring tone of “You Can’t Touch This” at a funeral reminds me of a lady I know whose ring tone would be even more inappropriate at that solemn occasion.

It’s George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone.”

It’s uh-chaff-uh-LIE-uh
Back in October 2007, Ward Bond recalled in this column the popular pronunciation guide compiled in 1946 by Ralph Sims and Bob Scearce when they were both with WJBO radio.

Ward played a major role in getting a new version of the guide published by the Foundation for Historical Louisiana and the Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The new version, “Louisiana Speak,” has a cover by The Advocate’s David Norwood with two notable Louisiana words, “Tchoupitoulas” and “Atchafalaya.”

The book covers names from Abadie to Zwolle, and should be required reading for newcomers — especially those in radio and TV.

Copies are available at both sponsoring organizations.

Stuff it
Dr. George Bourgeois, of Opelousas, says, “My little brother, Dr. David Bourgeois of Port Allen, had heard so much of a ‘turducken’ (a chicken inside a duck inside a turkey) that for his New Year’s meal he decided to try a ‘coopobit,’ a rabbit inside a possum inside a coon.