| | Trouble in any language | |
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+2thehairymob Dick Stodghill 6 posters | Author | Message |
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Dick Stodghill Five Star Member
Number of posts : 3795 Registration date : 2008-05-04 Age : 98 Location : Akron, Ohio
| Subject: Trouble in any language Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:44 am | |
| A Stodghill Says So blog:I have long known that saying kind words in a foreign language can be dangerous business and the point was driven home to me during the past few days. Both Peter Puhl and Abe March have let me know that my morning greeting to Jackie was all wrong. This, of course, was something I had already discovered on my own. Peter, who lives in far off Nordenham, told me I would have been better off saying, "Guten Morgen, mein schatz." So I tried it and Jackie's response was, "I don't like the sound of that." I believe it was being called schatz that she didn't care for so I explained that I had said, "Morning, sweetheart." Seeing that I wasn't getting far, I followed Abe's advice and said, "Guten Morgen, meine gnadige frau." That seemed safe enough because gnadige frau means gracious lady, or something like that. I probably should have remembered it is "something like that" that gets you in trouble. I definitely should have remembered that uttering a sentence containing the word frau is like waving a red flag in front of a bull to any woman who is not German. All this led to a decision that never again would I try to compliment someone in any language other than English. But then I recalled a popular song from the days of my youth, Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen. Now according to the words sung by the Andrews Sisters and Carmen Lombardo back in the mid-1930s, Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen means that you're grand. It also means you are the fairest in the land, if you can trust those old singers. So maybe I'll give it a try tomorrow. But can those singers really be trusted? It pays to be cautious in accepting such advice as I found out in 1945 over there in Nordenham. I was preparing to explain a situation I was in as soon as a particularly obnoxious officer arrived on the scene. A group of former German soldiers who were civilian guards where I was an MP told me to finish my statement by calling him a word ending in "head," but spoken in German rather than English. The first half of the word proved to be something nasty that began with the letter S in both languages. Then those old soldiers burst out laughing when I called the officer a "S...head." You just never know who you can trust. |
| | | thehairymob Four Star Member
Number of posts : 890 Registration date : 2008-05-05 Age : 56 Location : Scotland
| Subject: Re: Trouble in any language Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:49 am | |
| I think you just need to go back to school, hehehe |
| | | alice Five Star Member
Number of posts : 15672 Registration date : 2008-10-22 Age : 76 Location : Redmond, WA
| Subject: Re: Trouble in any language Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:51 am | |
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| | | E. Don Harpe Five Star Member
Number of posts : 1979 Registration date : 2008-01-17 Age : 82 Location : Florida
| Subject: Re: Trouble in any language Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:54 am | |
| As I am a singer, and an old one also, you can trust me when I tell you that old singers can be trusted. With secrets, with money, with your daughters, with just about anything that doesn't require a long attention span or very much time spent away from a bathroom. And you can take that to the bank. |
| | | alice Five Star Member
Number of posts : 15672 Registration date : 2008-10-22 Age : 76 Location : Redmond, WA
| Subject: Re: Trouble in any language Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:56 am | |
| E. Don,
Which bank? I am skeered of the banks--they is far worse than strangers to me! |
| | | E. Don Harpe Five Star Member
Number of posts : 1979 Registration date : 2008-01-17 Age : 82 Location : Florida
| Subject: Re: Trouble in any language Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:15 am | |
| I use the First American National Bank and Hardware Store in downtown Cottondale for all of my banking needs. They were bailed out last year, so I figure they're safe from leaks right now. They had a water pipe burst and had to call in a lot of volunteers to help them bail out the lobby. Patched it with duct tape, so I expect it will hold for a while. |
| | | alice Five Star Member
Number of posts : 15672 Registration date : 2008-10-22 Age : 76 Location : Redmond, WA
| Subject: Re: Trouble in any language Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:04 am | |
| Marie,
Duct tape skeers me too--I have claustrophobia.
Sorry I am not very brave--I have done things like fly in hot air balloons and climb high mountains, but the banks skeer me stiff.
Maybe being trapped in the mididle of a bank robbery did not help
The robber had a gun and threatened to shoot the teller and himself if he didn't give him 10's and 20's.
With my smart mouth, I'd probably have said, 'Please be certain you begin the shooting with yourself frst." |
| | | alice Five Star Member
Number of posts : 15672 Registration date : 2008-10-22 Age : 76 Location : Redmond, WA
| Subject: Re: Trouble in any language Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:19 am | |
| Now I find out the robbers are not near as skeery as the Bank managers. |
| | | Abe F. March Five Star Member
Number of posts : 10768 Registration date : 2008-01-26 Age : 85 Location : Germany
| Subject: Re: Trouble in any language Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:41 am | |
| Dick, just now read this thread. Your friend in Nordenham gave you good advice to use, "Guten Morgen, mein Schatz," (good morning, sweetheart/treasure/love/darling). I started calling my wife, "Schnucki Putzilein," a term of endearment that more closely means, "sweety pie." Over the years I shortened it and now I refer to my wife simply as "Schnuck." So Dick, if you increase your vocabulary, you can say good things that may sound bad, yet not get you into trouble.
Now if you need to improve your vocabulary with more of the not so nice words, send me a private email. |
| | | Dick Stodghill Five Star Member
Number of posts : 3795 Registration date : 2008-05-04 Age : 98 Location : Akron, Ohio
| Subject: Re: Trouble in any language Thu Feb 12, 2009 11:57 am | |
| Abe, before I risk calling Jackie "Schnucki Putzilein" I'll make sure I have something solid to duck behind. Glad it works for you. |
| | | Abe F. March Five Star Member
Number of posts : 10768 Registration date : 2008-01-26 Age : 85 Location : Germany
| Subject: Re: Trouble in any language Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:17 pm | |
| You got me laughing Dick. Foreign is foreign no matter what it means. |
| | | zadaconnaway Five Star Member
Number of posts : 4017 Registration date : 2008-01-16 Age : 76 Location : Washington, USA
| Subject: Re: Trouble in any language Sat Feb 14, 2009 7:15 am | |
| Even nice things can seem bad in some languages, and not so nice things can sound wonderful in others. (Especially when said while smiling.) Since Dick doesn't smile, I think he should stick to English too. |
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