ERT’s fine journalists had me cringe again today. Consider the following quotes from a recent article:

According to results of two recent gallops, the ND party is firmly in the lead against PASOK party

and…

In a gallop conducted by Public Issue on behalf of Skai channel and Kathimerini newspaper, [...]

and finally…

Another telephone MRB gallop sponsored by Alpha TV channel after the NATO Summit in Bucharest [...]


So, after the “blog spot” of a few weeks ago, we have a new phenomenon here in Greece: the gallop! From an quick analysis of the above quotes we can conclude that a) a gallop is conducted, b) a gallop has results, c) a gallop can be sponsored and d) a gallop can “happen” over the phone. What’s a gallop? Given the context above I doubt very much that it is this:


gallop |ˈgaləp|
noun [in sing. ]
the fastest pace of a horse or other quadruped, with all the feet off the ground together in each stride : the horse broke into a furious gallop | riding at full gallop.
• a ride on a horse at this pace : Will went for a gallop on the beach.
• a very fast pace of running or moving.

…which is what my online “New Oxford American Dictionary” says it is.