And in 1997, the guide awarded three stars to the country bumpkin of haute cuisine, Michel Bras, who among other things encourages guests at his remote restaurant in south-western France to use the same knife and fork throughout the meal.

ECONOMIST: The Michelin Guide

Angela Merkel, the Christian Democrats' leader, appears in contrast to be almost a country bumpkin, woefully lacking the qualities needed to govern the country in troubled times.

ECONOMIST: Germany

The senator from Tennessee was not to be treated like a country bumpkin.

CNN: Excerpt: 'The Prince of Tennessee: The Rise of Al Gore'