Wednesday, October 11, 2017

#013 "Doctor, I Smell Burnt Toast" - 10"x10" acrylic on wood panel


Canadian Heritage Minutes... those little snippets of Canadian History blasted to you during commercials starting in 1991. Every Canadian can probably recite each one in their sleep they are that ingrained. However the story of Dr. Wilder Penfield... (a pioneering neurosurgeon who is credited with many surgery methods and mappingthe functions of the brain) aside from providing us with his achievements also gave us "I smell burnt toast".

"I smell burnt toast" went on to a life of it's own and is still a Canadian euphemism for "my brain is fried" or "I can't take anymore". Whenever things get a little too much and people feel overwhelmed you might hear "I smell burnt toast" pop out of someone's mouth. Childish I know... but I still use it...

See where this little bit of Canadian vernacular came from here: https://youtu.be/pUOG2g4hj8s?list=PL1848FF9428CA9A4A

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