In the Georgia Court of Appeals opinion of Wright v. Georgia Dept. of
Natural Resources, Judge J.D. Smith wrote a footnote which is destined to be
a classic. The lawsuit concerned wild alligators Wright had decided to turn
into livestock without the state's permission. In the opinion, Smith calls
these alligators "the Georgia gators." Wright also had several gators onhis
farm which had purchased from someone in Florida, which he could lawfully
farm. Smith, in the opinion, called the gators "the Florida gators." In a
footnote, Smith wrote the following:
"Several times in this opinion, we refer to 'Georgia alligators.'
We do so reluctantly and solely for the sake of convenience and brevity. We
recognize that for literally millions of Georgians and Floridians, the term
'Georgia Gators,' or any approximation thereof, is an inherently offensive
oxymoron. We apologize for any pain or distress caused by this unfamiliar
and unfortunate juxtaposition."
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