czekolada_orzechowa 28.07.05, 15:24 what makes you laugh here, in Poland? Maybe funny language mistakes, situations, misunderstandings, people's reactions? I don't mean laughing AT people, of course, just little bit of fun in our everyday life. Odpowiedz Link czytaj wygodnie posty
nasza_maggie Re: Hi everybody! What makes you laugh? 28.07.05, 15:32 I love the funny translations you get into English in hotels, shops etc. I can't recall any now - but found this : teksty.smieszne.pl/_teksty.php?name=Wyssane%20z%20palca&id=22 Although I'm sure if anyone abroad tried translating things into Polish without knowing the language, the effct would be even more funny))) Odpowiedz Link
usenetposts Re: Hi everybody! What makes you laugh? 28.07.05, 22:51 That cracked me up, Maggie. Odpowiedz Link
waldek1610 please not you, miss Maggie 29.07.05, 23:26 Oh no, didn't I tell you not to use your "In Her Majesty Service" when you're on Polish web site. You don't have any manners what ever happened to your "british ettiquette"? Odpowiedz Link
usenetposts Re: please not you, miss Maggie 30.07.05, 00:46 As a point of order, it is perfectly acceptable to use OHMS or OHMSS on this forum, except in the latter case it wouldn't be secret any more. Odpowiedz Link
portulaco Re: Hi everybody! What makes you laugh? 29.07.05, 08:59 Hi! One the most funny things in Poland is the plasticity and flexibilty of the "K" word! Happy, sad, sober, drunk, mad or borred "K" word is always there, besides only Poles can say this word properly, it's the way they say the R and the W the melody of it in general. First I listen to the word I found it very funny because in Portuguese and Spanish (German too I think) means... curve Another funny situation is the quantity of Fiat 126 beeing carried by people like normal trash,tranformed in chicken coops, barbecue grills etc. Once I saw a Maluch in some trash container together with debris from a construction site and domestic rubbish bags! Nobody gave a damn about it but I stood few minutes observing the square headlights of the little thing popping out of the container, like a cat in a window I recall I said very surprised to my wife: - Look! they've put a maluch in the trash! I would like to see in the USA a 5 meters long Cadillac in the trash Odpowiedz Link
bluteau Re: Hi everybody! What makes you laugh? 29.07.05, 10:55 Apparently it's no accident that the "K" word comes from curve (or rather means curve). I heard somewhere that there's a connection between prostitutes, the middle ages and a curved (probably some kind of wheel) torturing device. After some time spent being stretched on that thing, these women were referred to as "curves". Who used the expression first is beyond me. I've heard a lot of funny language slips, but one I remember the most was the use of parrots instead of carrots in a recipe. Odpowiedz Link
portulaco Re: Hi everybody! What makes you laugh? 29.07.05, 11:16 Hello bluteau! I must confess I never expect that about the origin of "K" word, thank you for your explanation I'm really surprised and it makes lot of sense. In Portugal we use the English word T-shirt for cloth but many people obviously don't know how to write so you can see like this in fairs and shops TESHORTES, TICHORTIS and even better T XIRTXS. I never had any contact with Canadians can I ask you some questions about Canada and Canadians? Odpowiedz Link
portulaco Re: Hi everybody! What makes you laugh? 29.07.05, 15:32 Okey Dokey! Canada is a bilingual country and I was always very curious how English and French speakers get togheter, is it like in Belgium with the Dutch-French? How do Canadians see americans? and how do Americans see Canada? I guess this is a lot so I will not ask more, thank you bluteau. Odpowiedz Link
bluteau Re: Hi everybody! What makes you laugh? 29.07.05, 17:23 Well, to begin with, Canada is theoretically a bilingual country. Of course, my country does have two official languages, which are respected at government level, but in practice it looks very different. Francophones as a majority can only be found in the province of Quebec (81,4 % of the population). There is also a considerable number of French speaking people in New Brunswick and Ontario (especially Ottawa), but they don't form a majority in these places. Quebec is Canada's largest province and Montreal alone accounts for over 3 million of Canada's (small) population. Despite their strength in numbers, there is a strict division between francophones and anglophones. In Quebec you speak French, in the rest of Canada you speak English. Montreal is really the only strong exception, but even that's very relative - it still really depends on what part of Montreal you're taking about. But for sure it is one of the very few places in Canada where you'll hear both languages frequently. You also (theoretically) have the choice of being educated in the French language or in English in Montreal. You will also find a large number of bilingual families, like mine (my father is French Canadian and my mother English Canadian). I had the luck of attending a French language primary school and an English language high-school (college was also English); that's unfortunately a rarity. In Quebec, you learn English in school starting from the age of about 10 (the same vice versa), but the level is quite poor. Most people end up with a passive knowledge of either language. There's a lot of hostility between francophones and anglophones in Quebec, but these bad relations are really only limited to that one province. I'm sure you've heard of Quebec's plight to gain independence. In the last 3 decades all has been quite diplomatic and civil, but there was a lot of political and social unrest in the early 70's which even lead to a state of Martial Law for several months. It's all a very long and complicated story. And a sad one too. So in conclusion, we can't really talk about Frech-English relations at a national level, because there's no such thing. Within Quebec, the French and the English just barely tolerate eachother, but they do. For more on Canada's languages in numbers, visit this page: www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/analytic/companion/lang/provs.cfm As for the other question concerning Americans, I can say that the majority of Canadians dislike their neighbours. They see them as the ignorant, self-adoring, imposing-upon-others buffoons they unfortunately often are. And that excludes any differences in political views. The Americans, if they have an opinion, usually view us as "country cousins" - simple, quiet-life folk. But generally we get along. Hope this satisfies your curiosity Kathleen Odpowiedz Link
burgeon Re: Hi everybody! What makes you laugh? 29.07.05, 23:26 Generally speaking Americans think of Canada as a 52nd state of the USA. Tête-à- tête we get along very well. I have not met a Canadian whom I disliked. They are very friendly and talkative people. In Quebec it's a little bit different. If you don't speak French, and if you have an American/Canadian accent they will not tolerate you...restaurant staff ignore you or insist on speaking to you in French even if you made it quiet clear that you don't understand them. Odpowiedz Link
bluteau Re: Hi everybody! What makes you laugh? 30.07.05, 08:51 Americans living alongside the boarder don't consider Canada as the 52nd state. At least I never met any who did. But I have met Americans from other parts who weren't exactly sure where Canada is About the attitude you described of francophones in Quebec towards English-speaking visitors - I have to admit, with shame, that that kind of thing happens. And it's sad too because the word gets round and it's damaging tourism. On the other hand, you have the other extreme: a francophone stepping into a shop in downtown Montreal, being told in a sneering tone "we don't serve people in French here". Let's not forget that that francophone shopper is in his own city Odpowiedz Link
burgeon Re: Hi everybody! What makes you laugh? 01.08.05, 00:39 It's pure snobbery and arrogance. Will not put me off from visiting Canada. I love it there and have nothing against Canadians or Quebecans Yes, I've met with few people who didn't know where Canada or Mexico are! Beyond any comprehension. Odpowiedz Link
portulaco Canada 01.08.05, 08:51 Hello bluteau, I hope you had a nice weekend, Thank you for your comments, your point of view and personal experience is something one can't find in books or encyclopedias. Once I saw an american movie where some American guys crossed the border to Canada and after some time they commented between each other something more or less like this: "Gee... are they speaking in English? I can't understand them" Shame on me I really didn't know about Quebec's pledge for independence (shy smile) but now I will not forget and I will do some reserch about that. I see that Canadians versus Americans is like Portuguese versus Spanish, we're always believing they will buy our companies, steal our water (most part of damns are in Spain)etc... and Spanish simply don't care about us "Portugal? Uhmm... that small country next to us" Odpowiedz Link
waldek1610 Mr.Perdue- that's what makes me laugh in the West 29.07.05, 23:48 1.Perdue- sounds like "Pierdul" which is in polish is very demining 2.Du Page- They call colleges, counties this way in US but in Polish it reminds me DUPA (rear end) 3. The way English speaking people pronounce "Niagara" and "Viagra" why can't they just say it like the rest of the world does: (Nya-gaa-rah) and (Via- grah) Odpowiedz Link
usenetposts Re: Mr.Perdue- that's what makes me laugh in the 30.07.05, 00:53 How about Pierre de Launey or his sidekicks V. A. Banney and Ben Cartier? And the English speaking people are "the rest of the world" by the way. Since Esperanto folded up its deckchair, this is the default language, de facto. Odpowiedz Link
bartis_ervin Re: Hi everybody! What makes you laugh? 29.07.05, 11:06 When we were living in Romania, for my wife one of the funniest thing for my wife was the Romanian word "dupa" which in Romanian means "after". It is a quite often used word and at times when I was talking in Romanian hearing this word she would just burst out in a laugh Yes, the fexilibity of the K word is amazing I remember Mrozek writing: "Hey, people, we should try to actually put some words between k...as" Ervin Odpowiedz Link