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nuvistors · ‎02-22-2013

Spaghetti slingers take note: You may be welcome in Quebec, after all.

Quebec's language watchdog is retreating from a battle against an Italian restaurant over the number of Italian words in their menu.

Those tricky Italians. Always trying to slip their language into things. Like Italian restaurant menus.

CBC News reports that Buonanotte, a high-end Montreal restaurant, was contacted by the Office Quebec...OQLF) because it was using too many words like "pasta" and "meatball."

It's almost a shame that they realized they had crossed the line, because I would have loved to be the first to tell them.

[ Related: Quebec language police to reconsider case against Italian eatery ]

First, it's Italian restaurants and next it's Swedish massage parlours and Asian fusion restaurants. Before long, the OQLF will be coming after English Canadian restaurants for not offering a French translation for "poutine."

As the Montreal Gazette's Don Macpherson writes:

What a bunch of rubes. And not just the patron who could afford to eat at a pricey restaurant that is popular with Grand Prix camp followers, but who expected the names of the dishes on the menu in that Italian restaurant to be en français s’il vous plaît.

You can hear the laughter from Toronto, and beyond.

[ More Brew: Walmart to take Quebec to court over need for bilingual signs ]

It likely was not the best time to pick such a ridiculous battle. Quebec anglophones are already up in arms over the governing Parti Quebecois' plans to strengthen the province's language laws.

Last year, Walmart took the government agency to court after it demanded the company change its signs to read "Le Magasin Walmart," which translates to "The Walmart Store."

That case is expected to go to court in the spring. In the case of Italian restaurants, however, it seems the language police have bit off more that they can chew.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/quebec-language-police-duck-fight-against-italian-restauran...

bb_cool_stuff · ‎02-22-2013

Walmart versus the Quebec Government.

That will be a case i will watch with interest.

ilurkthereforiam · ‎02-22-2013

I suppose the Italian restaraunts could get a reprieve if they called spagetti and meatballs "le spagetti and le meatballs".

bb_cool_stuff · ‎02-22-2013

:^O

westernstargifts · ‎02-22-2013

I suppose the Italian restaraunts could get a reprieve if they called spagetti and meatballs "le spagetti and le meatballs".

Sounds like a good name for le language police.

pjcdn2005 · ‎02-23-2013

Quebec declares truce in spat over spaghetti

The Quebec government says its language watchdog was a little too aggressive in chasing after a Montreal restaurant for excessive use of Italian on its menu.

“I recognized that there was an excess of zeal,” Diane De Courcy, the minister responsible for language told reporters Thursday.

Speaking more generally, she said similar mistakes wouldn’t be made in the future. She said the Office Québécois de la langue française would be more careful to use a loophole in the application of the language law that offers some leeway for foreign cultural and food products.

puckstopshere · ‎02-23-2013

Listened to a radio program last night.

The announcer had grown up in Montreal.

His family had emigrated there from Eastern Europe.

The father opened a small clothing store which he operated 6 days a week for 40 years.

In the back of the store - out of sight of the customers - he had some slogans on the wall.

Mostly inspirational stuff that motivated him through his work day.

The language cops came in one day.

Told him he had to take down his slogans.

The man came from an oppressive country where people feared the police, for good reason.

He removed the signs. His only thought was that he had come to Canada because he would be free from tyranny and oppression. He wondered if he had made a mistake by coming here.

puckstopshere · ‎02-23-2013

he had some slogans on the wall

meant to say they were in English

brandeentertainment · ‎02-23-2013

Quebec is a great place to get tons of cash for making babies LOL ... I work about 20 minutes from the border ands some o the guys i work with tell me stories and wow quebec give alot of money for those who just want to make a living having babies.... This language stuff is stupid and without a doubt will hurt there economy ... In Northern ontario speaking both english and french is an asset in quebec if your from ontario you can even get a jod there never mind your english language being an asset .. I think we should to quebec what have done to us in ontario being dealiong and hearing about this my whole life ... Seperate let em go and forget about them and the ones that wanna move to ontario let them and forget the rest ...

birds-lover · ‎02-23-2013

Next on the list is "Chow Mein". ]:)

zee-chan-jpn-books · ‎02-23-2013

🙂

Or even sushi! Oh the horror!

ilurkthereforiam · ‎02-23-2013

le chowmein and le sushi.

see i fixed it.

cumos55 · ‎02-24-2013

Is that "le" , or "la" or "les"

You better get that right

Anonymous · ‎02-24-2013

Just think, if the lanuage policy in Quebec is rewritten to allow forgein countries to display menus and such in their own lanuage and Quebec separates, then Canadians can display menus and such using English in Quebec!!!! Issue solved. Botta boom, botta bing whatta country!