Post to the Host

Host Garrison Keillor answers your questions about life, love, writing, authors, and of course, A Prairie Home Companion.

Send GK Your Question »

Post to the Host: The

March 2, 2006 |

Post to the Host:
The other night my boyfriend and I walked down to Lee's Liquor Lounge to watch "Cash-A-Roke", a Monday night Johnny Cash event which allows anyone off the street to belt Cash tunes with a live band. Singers of every stripe were ably backed by The Al Subola Trio, supplemented by Lazy Ike (of the honky-tonk group Lazy Ike & the Daredevils). Greg Huff, whom I know to be an English major and former newspaper reporter, sports a cowboy hat and country duds as Lazy Ike, and sings with the requisite twang.

During their second set, I was reminded of both "The Lives of the Cowboys" and "Bob the English Major", when Lazy Ike revealed his true English major colors. He referred to a Cash-singer as "champing at the bit to get on stage." Although "champing" is correct, I think a cowboy would be more likely to use "chomping" or "chompin'". Think of the huge inner conflict involved in being a grammarian in a hillbilly band!

Jana Stow
Minneapolis

It's not easy being an English major, Jana, and then to lay cowboyhood on top of it, there are going to be conflicts. And there's a classic one: champing or chomping — correctness of grammar or correctness of style. A person just has to take that step on faith.

Previous Post: « Dear Mr. Keillor, Do you

Next Post: Dear Garrison, I am a »