OT: Northern Europe Pun

"Fred" ,in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

Oh dear me!

OOOooo, ROTFLMBOWTIME!!!!!!!

Thanks, Fred!

Joan

Ok. I admit. I didn't get this one. Maybe it's the hour (1.37 am) or that I'm so used to these Hellsinki jokes...?

Johanna, Kuopio, Finland

Johanna Koski ,in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

Terminology that some people sink (go down to) hell = ergo Hell sinky = Helsinki

It's not a fantastic joke that you should struggle to understand lololol

My mother married into a French Canadian family. They would sit around and tell jokes in French, laugh their heads off, then tell her,"It's not funny in English." This made me think of that!

My ex understood a little German, but not enough to follow the conversation when we weren't addressing him directly (and s-l-o-w-l-y). Some jokes, I could give him the Reader's Digest version (the set-up and the punch line). But the puns came with a warning that it was going to take me 5 minutes to explain and he still wouldn't think it was funny.

Shall we have some PUN FUN about your City`s name Lucretia Burgia mirjam .

wrote:

"elderberry22" ,in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

There really are some jokes that do not translate. This is probably one, if you are not completely at ease with speaking English and don't have minds like Fred, Joan and Gillian - well it's going to be difficult lolol

We have several Acadian members in our Guild and they are very conscious of how that sort of behaviour can come over - only a couple of us are capable of conversational French so although they often chatter away, they throw in enough English to make it clear they are not discussing us or unwilling to switch to English should anyone want them to do so. Unfortunately French Canadians can behave quite differently and generate some bad feelings, I refused to speak French in Quebec because they were so rude about the way I spoke, having learned French in France.

In my experience, though, English speakers aren't much better in situations where not everyone speaks English.

I still remember the British soldiers on the tram in Brussels who thought they were quite safe to make all the nasty remarks they wanted about the teenagers riding the tram with them. They were quite taken aback when one of the teens (me) maliciously offered to translate for them. Heh.

Elizabeth

Same here in the UK. Travelling in a remote part of North Wales a group of us entered a small village shop whereupon the shopkeeper and customers immediately (and very obviously) switched from English to Welsh. After a few minutes of conversation the shopkeeper asked us (in English) what we required. Imagine his surprise when one of our group asked for cigarettes and groceries - in fluent Welsh.

There is always the English tourist who believes (when they find the person they are speaking to does not speak English) that if they shout the same question, somehow miraculously the person will understand what they say !

David and I were in Wales and knew damn fine the women at the next table were discussing us. Finally in a loud voice I asked David to translate for me and tell me what they were saying. He couldn't, but they didn't know that. He had very Welsh colouring though, so they believed he could, were very embarrassed, said not another word, paid and left lol

Hmm - what could you do with Halifax???? Must think on this

Cheryl (from London-dreary)

Cheryl Isaak ,in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

Siiiggh - I didn't see this post. I merely tried to explain the joke but I see I still need to be castigated for it. You're right though Cheryl, I can't imagine how Halifax would fit into a pun, but who knows.

Serves ya right for making sure I saw a recent one I didn't need to see. *grin*

Elizabeth (who used to live near "Indiana-no-place" and later taught at "Wright State, wrong school")

OMG ! Two hits in one evening ! Now I must find that scourge and start beating my back lol - no, bugger the lol, on this occasion I shall use :)

I'm having a halluva time with my fax machine acting up.....

oh, right. Sink. I'm so used to see that there's extra L in Helsinki, especially after last summer's summergames, when it rained almost every day. And it really rained!! This summer was so hot, that it was a Hell for many. Especially after the smoke that came from Russia for several months.

Johanna