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Video: Only 1 NY City Slicker Knows Moose from Caribou. Do You?


By

John Del Signore

Published Jan 7, 2010

Modified Jan 7, 2010


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By

John Del Signore

Published Jan 7, 2010

Modified Jan 7, 2010


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Last month a Manhattan woman filed a lawsuit against the restaurant/lounge White Slab Palace, claiming chronic neck pain, anxiety, fatigue, and dizziness after a taxidermy moose head fell on her during a party. But in the news media's rush to break this vital news, many got a crucial fact wrong: It was a caribou head, not a moose head, argh! Still, it's an easy mistake to make; DNAinfo put a photo of both side by side, and the differences are indeed subtle. Which is what makes this video so funny: After New Yorkers interviewed on the street repeatedly misidentify the beast, one man finally gets it right—and then breaks it down in Sicilian/Genoan terms we can all understand. It gets fun at the 20 second mark:

You've also got to love the classy lady at the end telling those country folk not to feel smart about telling moose from caribou, because they probably can't tell the difference between Broadway and Off Broadway. (Actually, the provincial types are pretty much the only reason Broadway's still in business, but point taken.) Anyway, moose/caribou, now you know at last! And years from now, if this ever comes up again, you'll be ready to correct everybody.

Tagged

caribou

fall

head

lawsuit

moose

nyc

video

white slab palace


John Del Signore

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Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


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