Hey, I didn’t write that

A New York Times profile of Michael Ignatieff at the end of January claims “Maclean’s magazine once named him ‘Canada’s Sexiest Cerebral Man.'”

But Maclean’s writer John Geddes says the mag can’t lay claim to the phrase. Geddes say publications ranging from the Winnipeg Free Press to The Australian have credited Maclean’s with coining the phrase. So, who exactly gave the Liberal party leader that honour?

Geddes writes:

“…here’s the problem: we can’t find any electronic record of having described him in those three words. Some online references to the “Sexiest Cerebral Man” title link it to a June, 2003, profile of Ignatieff, which I happened to write. But I didn’t describe him so pithily.”

In Geddes’ June 2003 Maclean’s profile of Iggy, the term “sex symbol” was used in the sub-head and “cerebral media star” appears in the body of the story.

But how these came together to form the high honour of “Sexiest Cerebral Man” is a mystery to those at Maclean’s and they’ve now taking nominations to determine who else might deserve this honour.

Geddes writes:

“If anybody wants to claim authorship the lapidary description “Sexiest Cerebral Man,” please contact us. We can’t in good conscience go on taking the credit.”