Deflowering a hare...
 

...or the trials of learning French.

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_...earning+French

Re: Deflowering a hare...
 

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 10:28:24 +0100, Magda <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >...or the trials of learning French.
    >http://www.expatica.com/source/site_...earning+French
or even
http://tinyurl.com/5x8vf

    :-)
--
Martin

Re: Deflowering a hare...
 

Magda wrote:
    > ...or the trials of learning French.
    >
    > http://www.expatica.com/source/site_...earning+French
    >

Very amusing, but similar hazards exist in most languages once you get
past the stage of being able to order a beer and a sandwich.
Among my personal classics in the German language was the time I
suggested to a customer that he should bury his computer installation.
(after the initial surprize, he nodded and said I was probably right).
Then there was the time I told a shop assistant who asked if I needed
assistance that I already was pissed off, thankyou.

And in Italian, my attempts to order a coffee with bed did not go down
well with the waitress.

I'm sure other travellers can report similar stories.

T.

Re: Deflowering a hare...
 

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 11:43:34 +0100, Tom Peel
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >Magda wrote:
    >> ...or the trials of learning French.
    >>
    >> http://www.expatica.com/source/site_...earning+French
    >>
    >Very amusing, but similar hazards exist in most languages once you get
    >past the stage of being able to order a beer and a sandwich.
    >Among my personal classics in the German language was the time I
    >suggested to a customer that he should bury his computer installation.
    >(after the initial surprize, he nodded and said I was probably right).
    >Then there was the time I told a shop assistant who asked if I needed
    >assistance that I already was pissed off, thankyou.
    > And in Italian, my attempts to order a coffee with bed did not go down
    >well with the waitress.
    >I'm sure other travellers can report similar stories.

The different meanings of "borst" in German and Dutch, led to a friend
asking a Dutch market stall holder, if he had metal titties instead of
the intended "wire brushes"
--
Martin

Re: Deflowering a hare...
 

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 11:43:34 +0100, in rec.travel.europe, Tom Peel
<[email protected]> arranged some electrons, so they looked like this :

... Magda wrote:
... > ...or the trials of learning French.
... >
... > http://www.expatica.com/source/site_...earning+French
... >
...
... Very amusing, but similar hazards exist in most languages once you get
... past the stage of being able to order a beer and a sandwich.
... Among my personal classics in the German language was the time I
... suggested to a customer that he should bury his computer installation.
... (after the initial surprize, he nodded and said I was probably right).
... Then there was the time I told a shop assistant who asked if I needed
... assistance that I already was pissed off, thankyou.
...
... And in Italian, my attempts to order a coffee with bed did not go down
... well with the waitress.

Caffeletto ? LOL

... I'm sure other travellers can report similar stories.

Re: Deflowering a hare...
 

    > Very amusing, but similar hazards exist in most languages once you
    > get past the stage of being able to order a beer and a sandwich.

A friend of mine used to do tourist guiding in three languages. He once
described the smoked fish pate his Swiss-French group was going to get
in a Scottish hotel as "maquerelle" - mashed whore with oatcakes? In
this instance the gender does matter (it's "maquereau").

============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
<http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557

Re: Deflowering a hare...
 

Magda wrote:

    > On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 11:43:34 +0100, in rec.travel.europe, Tom Peel
    > <[email protected]> arranged some electrons, so they looked like this :
    >
    > ... Magda wrote:
    > ... > ...or the trials of learning French.
    > ... >
    > ... > http://www.expatica.com/source/site_...earning+French
    > ... >
    > ...
    > ... Very amusing, but similar hazards exist in most languages once you get
    > ... past the stage of being able to order a beer and a sandwich.
    > ... Among my personal classics in the German language was the time I
    > ... suggested to a customer that he should bury his computer installation.
    > ... (after the initial surprize, he nodded and said I was probably right).
    > ... Then there was the time I told a shop assistant who asked if I needed
    > ... assistance that I already was pissed off, thankyou.
    > ...
    > ... And in Italian, my attempts to order a coffee with bed did not go down
    > ... well with the waitress.
    >
    > Caffeletto ? LOL

exactly...
    >
    > ... I'm sure other travellers can report similar stories.
    >

Re: Deflowering a hare...
 

"Tom Peel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

    > And in Italian, my attempts to order a coffee with bed did not go down
    > well with the waitress.
    > I'm sure other travellers can report similar stories.

I had an American friend who didn't speak Spanish very well. During one of
his visits with his 17-year-old son and his son's friend, we went into a
bar in Jerez to grab something to eat . While perusing the blackboard behind
the bar, he asked me what "choco" was. I replied that it was similar to a
calamar.

As the barman drew near, my friend shouted, "Una racíon de chocho frito."
The conversation in the bar suddenly went silent while I doubled over in
laughter. After recovering from his momentary shock, the barman burst out
laughing. Finally my friend started to laugh after comprehending his
mistake. "Choco, choco! No chocho!" he yelled.

We continued howling in laughter while the two 17-year-olds looked at us
questioningly. At last my friend composed himself enough to gasp, "I just
ordered a plate of fried ****!"

Lana

Re: Deflowering a hare...
 

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 11:43:34 +0100, Tom Peel
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >Then there was the time I told a shop assistant who asked if I needed
    >assistance that I already was pissed off, thankyou.
    > And in Italian, my attempts to order a coffee with bed did not go down
    >well with the waitress.

My daughter once told me that, in Italy, she had complained of dust in
her room, but wasn't sure if had said "polvere" (dust) or "populi"
(peoples, as in nationalities).
--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

Re: Deflowering a hare...
 

Magda wrote:

    > ...or the trials of learning French.
    >
    > http://www.expatica.com/source/site_...earning+French

That was delightful! Thanks, Magda. (I still remember the
amusement of the instructor of my class for beginners at
Alliance Francaise, when I used the verb "baiser",
innocently assuming it meant "to kiss".)

Re: Deflowering a hare...
 

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 11:57:08 -0800, in rec.travel.europe, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
<[email protected]> arranged some electrons, so they looked like this :

...
... Magda wrote:
...
... > ...or the trials of learning French.
... >
... > http://www.expatica.com/source/site_...earning+French
...
... That was delightful! Thanks, Magda. (I still remember the
... amusement of the instructor of my class for beginners at
... Alliance Francaise, when I used the verb "baiser",
... innocently assuming it meant "to kiss".)

To be on the safe side, use "baiser" only as a substantive ! :)

Re: Deflowering a hare...
 

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    >
    >
    > Magda wrote:
    >
    >> ...or the trials of learning French.
    >>
    >> http://www.expatica.com/source/site_...bchannel_id=25
&story
    >> _id=17214&name=Deflowering+a+hare%2C+or+the+trials +of+learning+French
    >
    > That was delightful! Thanks, Magda. (I still remember the
    > amusement of the instructor of my class for beginners at
    > Alliance Francaise, when I used the verb "baiser",
    > innocently assuming it meant "to kiss".)
    >

Try teaching French to a modern (ie every thing is illegal) American
high school and try to explain that one!!

Uhh it means a little more than that and should NEVER be used in polite
company.

UHH, Why? What's wrong with kissing? (usually said with big grin that
indicates that they know exactly what they said)

Re: Deflowering a hare...
 

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 10:28:24 +0100, Magda <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >...or the trials of learning French.
    >http://www.expatica.com/source/site_...earning+French

3 years ago I met a girl in Rome, and we went out for a few weeks.

She spoke english with a very strong Italian accent, but she was very
patient considering I spoke very little Italian then.

Over dinner one night in a restaurant, (I had been commenting on how
good the food was) she said to me "You-a are a good-a fock". I nearly
choked, and begged her pardon. She repeated "I tink dat you-a are a
good-a fock". This sounded like a great, if not unexpected compliment,
and I had to admire her timing. Then she held up her fork, and said
"yes-a, in-a Italy, we-a say dat you-a are-a good-a fock if you like
to eat". Ah, THAT is what you meant!

Later I told her she had a beautiful figure, and almost got a slap in
the face.

(only Italian speakers would get that last one)
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

Re: Deflowering a hare...
 

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 23:30:30 GMT, in rec.travel.europe, Deep Foiled Malls
<deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> arranged some electrons, so they looked like
this :

... 3 years ago I met a girl in Rome, and we went out for a few weeks.
...
... She spoke english with a very strong Italian accent, but she was very
... patient considering I spoke very little Italian then.
...
... Over dinner one night in a restaurant, (I had been commenting on how
... good the food was) she said to me "You-a are a good-a fock". I nearly
... choked, and begged her pardon. She repeated "I tink dat you-a are a
... good-a fock". This sounded like a great, if not unexpected compliment,
... and I had to admire her timing. Then she held up her fork, and said
... "yes-a, in-a Italy, we-a say dat you-a are-a good-a fock if you like
... to eat". Ah, THAT is what you meant!
...
... Later I told her she had a beautiful figure, and almost got a slap in
... the face.
...
... (only Italian speakers would get that last one)

Learning languages on the pillow is not what it used to be ? ;)

Re: Deflowering a hare...
 

Deep Foiled Malls wrote:

    >On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 10:28:24 +0100, Magda <[email protected]>
    >wrote:
    >
    >>...or the trials of learning French.
    >>http://www.expatica.com/source/site_...earning+French
    >>
    >3 years ago I met a girl in Rome, and we went out for a few weeks.
    >She spoke english with a very strong Italian accent, but she was very
    >patient considering I spoke very little Italian then.
    >Over dinner one night in a restaurant, (I had been commenting on how
    >good the food was) she said to me "You-a are a good-a fock". I nearly
    >choked, and begged her pardon. She repeated "I tink dat you-a are a
    >good-a fock". This sounded like a great, if not unexpected compliment,
    >and I had to admire her timing. Then she held up her fork, and said
    >"yes-a, in-a Italy, we-a say dat you-a are-a good-a fock if you like
    >to eat". Ah, THAT is what you meant!
    >Later I told her she had a beautiful figure, and almost got a slap in
    >the face.
    >(only Italian speakers would get that last one)
    >
"If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?" --
Bellamy Brothers