Amadou: Binta, are you having any slow tape?
Me: Any what?
Amadou: Slow tape. My uncle wants to buy sugar for these people.
Amadou holds up a 25 dalasi bill that’s nearly torn in half
Me (to Amadou): Yes, I have.
Me (to myself): What the heck is slow tape? But Scotch tape will work.
I give Amadou a roll of Scotch tape
Me (to myself): A-ha! Cellotape!
While I had been recording this dialogue in my journal, I began to wonder what Americans call Scotch tape if they wanted to refer to Scotch tape not actually manufactured by the Scotch company. Luckily, I am a thrifty person and had purchased some non-Scotch Scotch tape manufactured by Staples. It is “invisible tape.” But I like “slow tape” better.
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