That Noo Yawk Accent

Dear Diary:

One recent morning, I stopped at a cart a few blocks from the United Nations for a coffee. As I waited in line, I heard the man in front of me order a Kofi Annan bagel.

I'd never heard of such a thing, and was intrigued to know what a bagel named after the United Nations secretary general had on it.

I was also curious to find out if the cart guy had other specialties. Perhaps a John Bolton bear claw, or a Boutros Boutros-Ghali bialy?

When my turn arrived, I asked what a Kofi Annan bagel entailed.

"What it always entails," the cart guy replied. He held up a coffee cup and a bagel. "A coffee and a bagel."

- Douglas Light