What's wrong with Yooper?

Nothing whatsoever, thank you very much.

Discussion continues across the Upper Midwest about the post a while back on a local doofus (Ben Bromley, Wisconsin State Journal) who unloaded on Kate Remlinger and her study of Yooper dialect. In fact, just a while ago, Stef H. posted a long, passionate comment on that topic. In a sense, Bromley's little muddle shows how badly we need work like Remlinger's.

Around here in greater Verbville, a lot of our discussion has been about these kinds of questions: Who was his intended audience? Was he trying to entertain, impress, insult, or what? If we pushed a ping pong ball through his ear, how long would it rattle around?

But actions speak louder than words, and rumor in Madison is that Kate Remlinger may join forces with the merry band known as the Wisconsin Englishes Project. You guys should invite her down, have her talk on Bromley's home turf. Yah hey.