"Coates" is pronounced "kōts," so technically if you walked into the middle of a conversation about "Ta-Nehisi Coates" and you had never heard of him before, you could assume something else. Here are some options.
10. Houses for pigeons - Don't get me wrong here. A "cote" (yes, pronounced kōt) is an archaic word meaning a shelter for mammals or birds. It's derived from the same old words for dwellings that gave us "cottage." But in the unlikely chance you ever hear "cote" used in the modern day, it's likely referring to a shelter for pigeons. Yeah, I know... most people just say "coop." A "Ta-Nehisi" could easily be some fancy breed of pigeon, couldn't it? And therefore "Tanehisi Cotes" could refer to houses for these unique pigeons.
See how this list is going to go? If you didn't like that then I can assure you... it doesn't get any better from here.
9. A country or something, right? - No, it's not. You're thinking of Côte d'Ivoire.
8. A Moroccan-French restaurant - Similar to the above, you know that "Coates" sounds like the French "Côte" (meaning "coast"). But you also know that "Ta-Nehisi" doesn't sound French at all. What the hell is that? Probably African, right? Where did the French colonize Africa? Morocco or something? Let's go with a Moroccan-French Restaurant. Maybe it serves seafood and that's why it mentions the French word for coast?
7. That New Zealand actor who is in everything - Could "Ta-Nehisi" be a Māori name? I suppose it could. But you're probably thinking about Cliff Curtis. Don't feel ashamed for mixing this guy up with someone of a different race. That's what Hollywood does in almost everything he's in.
6. An upmarket hummus brand - Ta-Nehisi Coates could certainly be a Levantine chickpea and tahini spread. I mean Ta-Nehisi sounds so much like Ta-Hini.
5. Waterproofing wood protector for your deck - Apply just one coat of Ta-Nehisi© and you'll seal and prevent water damage to wood, concrete and brick. It allows wood to gray naturally. Wipe surface dry after 5-10 minutes.
3. Descriptor for a snowy mountain - Just look at those beautiful coats of snow on the proud Ta-Nehisi Mountain, the tallest of all the peaks in northern Sudan.
2. Fur of an animal - Similar to #10 above, a "Ta-Nehisi" could easily be some type of exotic animal you haven't heard of before. Nobody knows ALL of the animals! I mean had you ever heard of a "Gerenuk" before? Or a "Whenisu?" Or a "Sunda Colugo?" Well, one of those three I just made up and the other two are real. See how hard it is to know all the animals? Maybe a Tanehisi is just some type of wild cat with a beautiful, spotted fur coat.
1. A fashionable winter garment - In this case you just thought "Coates" was "coats" like a jacket that you wear when it's cold. Only this coat is from some Project Runway designer who gave it a fancy, evocative, foreign-sounding name to try to impress the judges. Nice try, but Nina Garcia will not fall for your bullshit.
10. Houses for pigeons - Don't get me wrong here. A "cote" (yes, pronounced kōt) is an archaic word meaning a shelter for mammals or birds. It's derived from the same old words for dwellings that gave us "cottage." But in the unlikely chance you ever hear "cote" used in the modern day, it's likely referring to a shelter for pigeons. Yeah, I know... most people just say "coop." A "Ta-Nehisi" could easily be some fancy breed of pigeon, couldn't it? And therefore "Tanehisi Cotes" could refer to houses for these unique pigeons.
See how this list is going to go? If you didn't like that then I can assure you... it doesn't get any better from here.
9. A country or something, right? - No, it's not. You're thinking of Côte d'Ivoire.
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| A fine Moroccan dish served at Ta-Nehisi Coates Restaurant. |
7. That New Zealand actor who is in everything - Could "Ta-Nehisi" be a Māori name? I suppose it could. But you're probably thinking about Cliff Curtis. Don't feel ashamed for mixing this guy up with someone of a different race. That's what Hollywood does in almost everything he's in.
6. An upmarket hummus brand - Ta-Nehisi Coates could certainly be a Levantine chickpea and tahini spread. I mean Ta-Nehisi sounds so much like Ta-Hini.
5. Waterproofing wood protector for your deck - Apply just one coat of Ta-Nehisi© and you'll seal and prevent water damage to wood, concrete and brick. It allows wood to gray naturally. Wipe surface dry after 5-10 minutes.
4. Coat-of-arms for an Egyptian family - Okay, if you thought this then I guess you at least get partial credit. You were somehow smart enough to know that "Ta- Nehesy" was the general designation that the Egyptians called Nubia. But if you were smart enough to know that then you should have already known who the hell Ta-Nehisi Coates was. So you know what? On second thought - no partial credit.
3. Descriptor for a snowy mountain - Just look at those beautiful coats of snow on the proud Ta-Nehisi Mountain, the tallest of all the peaks in northern Sudan.
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| Behold a Western Tanehisi and its fabulous spotted coat. |
1. A fashionable winter garment - In this case you just thought "Coates" was "coats" like a jacket that you wear when it's cold. Only this coat is from some Project Runway designer who gave it a fancy, evocative, foreign-sounding name to try to impress the judges. Nice try, but Nina Garcia will not fall for your bullshit.
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