Challenge 435 Response

Coq-a-Doodle-Do

with Jerry Guarino

“Coq-a-Doodle-Do” appears in issue 435.

By the end of the story, Joe and Barbara are francophiles. But why are the references to “French toast” and “French fries” humorous?

The references to French toast and French fries was an aside from the writer to the reader, sort of the way “Modern Family” does those comments to the camera. Wasn't supposed to be funny, just interesting.

[Ed. note] The reference to French fries appears to be authentic, although their early history is exceedingly murky and they may have been reinvented several times. However, “French toast” is something like “Swiss steak”: neither the French nor the Swiss would know what it is, let alone eat it.

The bald eagle became the U.S. national bird, for political and nationalistic reasons, over Benjamin Franklin’s objections. The rooster or coq became the national bird of France because of a pun. What was that pun?

In Latin, rooster (gallus) sounds like the name of the early inhabitants of Gaul.