Esperanto (was: Re: ,Language' in language name?)

--- You wrote:
Christophe Grandsire wrote:
> While nearly everyone hears at least once in his/her life about
> Esperanto
I dunno about that.  Most people I've mentioned Esperanto to had never
heard of it.  Altho I suppose after that, they'd heard about it once in
their life.  :-)
--- end of quote ---

Speaking of unexpected Esperanto references: I was watching an old episode of "Red
Dwarf" on video last night. ("Red Dwarf" is a long-running BBC sitcom with a
science fiction theme, *very* funny). In this particular episode we learn that
one of the main characters, Arnold Rimmer, has been studying Esperanto for
eight years and still can speak a word of it. He attempts to say "Your father
looks like a water buffalo's behind and your mother spent most of your
childhood between walls and sailors", but it comes out "Please send for the
hotel porter, there seems to be a frog in my bidet".

(Incidentally, many of the signs on the "Red Dwarf" ship are bilingual, in English and
Esperanto. Nice touch.)

Matt.

Matthew Pearson
Department of Linguistics
Reed College
3203 SE Woodstock Blvd
Portland, OR 97202
503 771 1112 x 7618

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