Paul Heslop wrote:
>
> elag wrote:
> >
> > Paul Heslop wrote:
> > >
> > > elag wrote:
> > > >
> > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Believe it or not that actually works over here now. We have had enough
> > > > > american comedians to know that a bun can have more meanings...
> > > >
> > > > I'm glad it "translates" into English.
> > > >
> > > > > but whatever you do, never mention a woman's fanny over here :O)
> > > >
> > > > Why, is Aunty Fanny a no good bum?
> > > > (I can guess the truth)
> > > >
> > > There are some words which don't carry over the seas so well... another
> > > one is 'spunk' which always guarantees a snigger from small boys when
> > > mentioned in american tv shows.
> >
> > That is a pretty funny one... and pretty common, in sit-coms at least.
> > All kinds of funny conglomerations are popping into my head...
> >
> > An American said: "That dirty bum sure is full of spunk!"
> >
> > I've also run into some funny problems w/ French idioms. Someone told
> > me that they once said something like, "When I saw my brother I gave him
> > a big hug" which drew a lot of nervous laughter. When she asked why it
> > was so funny she found out that what she had said was the equivalent of
> > "I screwed my brother in the doorway".
> >
> > It turns out to be derived from the idiomatic use of the word "embrace"
> > (as in "the lovers embraced") as opposed to the literal dictionary
> > meaning. One must learn to love foreign tongues.
>
> :O) An English comedian tells of when he went to Australia (I think) and
> found out that durex, instead of being a contraceptive brand, was a
> brand of sticky tape. Which gave rise to sniggers when someone walks
> into a shop and asks for a roll of durex "Planning a busy night sir?"
Looked at a certain way that could be almost as funny.
It reminds me of a time when I was sitting w/ some college pals in a
fast food joint called "Wally Wooten's Rootin' Tootin' Fine Food" which
had as its mascot a Yosemite Sam rip off. Unespectedly, the clerk
called us over saying that we had a phone call. On the line were a
bunch of giggly girls who said they wanted us to come on over and be
sure to bring plenty of mayonnaise, friction tape and wire coat hangers.
As you might expect, the meeting never came off, but it did make for an
amusing evening.
> and another guy, Mike Harding (bluff Northerner) of when he was on tour
> in the states and stayed at someone's house. He didn't like sitting
> round doing nothing so he asked them if he could lay the table for
> dinner. Only after the bemused looks did he find out that 'lay' meant
> something else than putting out the cutlery etc :O)
Boy, those guys sure are harsh when it comes to enforcing their rules of
idiomatic expression. We're far looser hereabouts.
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