She really likes her coffee

guelphRe: Page 2 column A community Editorial Board column by Nancy Britton published on page A2 of yesterday’s newspaper failed to make explicit that Britton is describing her relationship with Tim Hortons. Many readers concluded otherwise. Link

From the column in question:

I swore I was not going to write about this. Believe me, I tried to avoid this. But, here you are, about to read what I vowed not to print.
I think I’m in a love-hate relationship. It’s tearing me apart. Each time I try to end the relationship I fail miserably. He’s everywhere it seems. Tempting me. Drawing me back…
In determining whether I should end this relationship, I’ll hammer out a few pros and cons and see how it all stacks up:

Pros:
1. He’s quick and reliable.
2. He never pays but is certainly quite reasonable on my pocketbook.
3. His family is always welcoming.
4. Just like the Holiday Inn used to tour in its marketing – there are certainly no surprises. He is dependable and predictable.
5. His house is always clean.
6. He gives me surprise gifts – at predictable times. This is sort of a pro and a con. The type of gift is a surprise but when he gives it is not.
7. His family has a great name, is well-regarded and is considered a Canadian icon.
8. He wakes me up in the morning and can really get me going, bring a smile to my face and a lift to my step.
9. He’s always there for me, no matter where I go across the country, and sometimes follows me into the U.S.
10. I’m pretty sure he loves me.

Cons:
1. I always have to wait for him.
2. He has a huge collection of cars, usually idling, outside his front door
3. I’m not sure how good he is at recycling – and this is important to me.
4. He has an inordinate percentage of women in his family, women who seem to do all the work.
5. His house may be clean. But I doubt that he uses green cleaning product.
6. He is everywhere I am. I keep running into him – is this just remarkable coincidence?
7. The quality of his gifts, whether quite small or incredibly lavish is not determined by how often we see each other.
8. The opening of his tightly wrapped gifts often demands the use of my teeth.
9. He’s often hot, hot, hot and not in a good way.
10. He keeps me awake at night and not in a good way…

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  • Kat

    For those of us who didn't know Tim Hortons was a coffee shop and not a person, this was still a confusing correction without doing research. Are they so ubiquitous up there a descriptor is not needed on the company name?
    (By the way — I really enjoy reading your blog.)

  • http://www.regrettheerror.com CraigSilverman

    aprove

  • http://www.regrettheerror.com CraigSilverman

    Glad you enjoy the site. I agree that both the original article and the correction are maddeningly vague — even though the vast majority of Canadians know what Tim Hortons is. They're everywhere. Still, a little context and explanation would have been appreciated.

  • Kat

    For those of us who didn't know Tim Hortons was a coffee shop and not a person, this was still a confusing correction without doing research. Are they so ubiquitous up there a descriptor is not needed on the company name?
    (By the way — I really enjoy reading your blog.)

  • http://www.regrettheerror.com CraigSilverman

    Glad you enjoy the site. I agree that both the original article and the correction are maddeningly vague — even though the vast majority of Canadians know what Tim Hortons is. They're everywhere. Still, a little context and explanation would have been appreciated.