t relocating from Natter

Dani, you said that Canadians don't do formal coalition governments? But I thought that 'free votes' (where one does not vote along party lines) were almost unheard of in the Canadian House of Commons? How in the world do you govern without a formal coalition, then, if you're not dealing with a whole party at once?

Not Dani but :

I think Dani might have meant that there are no true coalition gov'ts where parties merge and appoint cabinet members cross party lines. Our minorities usually have one party in power that is making deals iwth one or more other parties to ensure votes go their way.

Parties do expect their Members to vote along party lines in the House, but there are occasionally free votes.

Wow, that's an awful lot of constantly re-negotiated horse-trading.

Yes, yes it is. And the Liberals and NDP together are one vote short of having a majority in the House anyway, so there will be a lot of horse trading, methinks. Or free vacations for Conservatives on days of big votes.

Karl: what Sue said.

I've always been fond of Carlington-Scugog-Uxbridge as a riding name. And what exactly is Kings-Hants short for?

For Jon:

riding (n) a Canadian term for an electoral district. There are 308 electoral districts or ridings. Origin is Scandinavian and Old English. There are two possible histories of the phrase; both trace to Yorkshire in England. One history has the old Norse word "triding" meaning one-third, which evolved into riding over time. Yorkshire was once divided into three administrative divisions or ridings.

Also, the Yorkshire custom of "Riding the Stang" meant a person to be held up for public ridicule (especially for wife-beating) was placed on a pole or scaffold ("stang") and carried around to be insulted and jeered. The pejorative term "riding" came to mean rural, unsophisticated, countryside.

Huh, I thought the UK had "ridings" too, but apparently not - they have "wards."

Kings and Hants are the counties that the riding covers.

"Riding the Stang" would make a great album title.

Kings and Hants are the counties that the riding covers.

Hants is the shortform for Hampshire in England. It would be kind of humourous if the NS county adopted it whole-cloth, so to speak.

Scugog is one of the best names ever. It totally reminds me of an old Kazar comic, or Savage Sword of Conan or something. People driving through Scugog with me tend to get subjected to a complete riff of me enjoying the sound of Scugog. That whole stretch of Highway 7 has some good slightly odd names.

Hants is the shortform for Hampshire in England.

I never knew this.

It would be kind of humourous if the NS county adopted it whole-cloth, so to speak.

I'm sure they did. Yep:

Ultimately getting its name from the County of South Hampton in England, popularly called Hampshire, and abbrieviated to Hants, Hants County was established in 1781 out of part of what had been Kings County.

I posted this bit of news in Natter already, but it deserves to be double (har) posted.

"Double double" has finally made the Canadian Oxford Dictionary.