Ahh, but it's never really been about where a particular thing arose, has it? Few people think wine or cheese were invented in the EU. It's about where they hav

Ahh, but it's never really been about where a particular thing arose, has it? Few people think wine or cheese were invented in the EU. It's about where they have taken on a distinct form and become essential to the culture. I fear you are correct in that the UK has a strong claim on all counts here. That said, I think the Ohio River Valley has a distinctive form of sarcasm to the bone-dry wit of Albion.