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Re: USAGE: two nations separated by single language, etc.

From:Paul Bennett <pbennett@...>
Date:Saturday, June 19, 1999, 19:30
On 18 Jun 99, at 18:07, Sally Caves wrote:

> > Heh heh... which Woody Allen movie was it where he accused someone > of saying "Jew go?" to him for "Did you go?" > > Sally
Somewhat off topic once again, and I'm well aware that someone's going to ask me to stop all this gibberish, but I had to share this one. It has to do with the sort of all-to-common translinguistic difficulties that I've never seen mentioned in a conlang/conculture context: ---Forwarded Message Follows--- Subject: Breakfast Language proficiency is part of the international contracting scene. This exchange between an English-speaking traveller and a member of the hotel staff in a Far East hotel was recorded in the "Far-East Economic Review": Room Service: Morny. Rune-sore-bees. Hotel Guest: Oh, sorry. I thought I dialed Room Service. RS: Rye, rune-sore-bees. Morny. Jewish to odor sunteen? HG: Uh ... yes. I'd like some bacon and eggs. RS: Ow July den? HG: What? RS: Aches. Ow July den? Pry, boy, pooch...? HG: Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry. Scrambled please. RS: Ow July dee baycome? Crease? HG: Crisp will be fine. RS: Hokay. An Santos? HG: What? RS: Santos. July Santos? HG: Uh. I don't know ... I don't think so. RS: No. Judo one toes? HG: Look, I feel really bad about this, but I don't know what "judo one toes" means. I'm sorry. RS: Toes! Toes! Why jew Don Juan toes? Ow bow cenglish mopping we bother? HG: English muffin! I've got it! You were saying toast! Fine. An English muffin will be fine. RS: We bother? HG: No. Just put the bother on the side. RS: Wad? HG: I'm sorry. I meant butter. Butter on the side. RS: Copy? HG: I feel terrible about this but ... RS: Copy. Copy, tea, mill-- HG: Coffee! Yes, coffee please. And that's all. RS: One Minnie. Ass rune torino fee, strangle aches, crease baycome, tossy cenglish mopping we bother honey sigh, and copy. Rye? HG: Whatever you say. RS: Hokay. Ten-jew-berry-mud. HG: You're welcome.