Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2011

On Nov 29, 1:44 pm, Duke Gaylord <fague-ba...@churchandwellesley.com>
wrote:

There are some that rely on simple knowledge of other languages:

A French Omelette is made with one egg, because in France it is un
oeuf.

===
= DUG.
===

Dieu, épargne, âme

Not cross-language, but a related Golden Oldie:

    Jesus Saves...Moses Invests.

I know just one, and I might have told it here before. It requires English,
a little French, and a little Spanish.

A Frenchman and a Spaniard were waiting for a bus, along with a lovely young
woman. As the bus arrived the men allowed the woman to step up first. As she
did, a gust of wind blew up her skirt. The Frenchman shrugged, "C'est la
vie". The Spaniard goggled, "¡Yo también!"

On Nov 28, 8:44 pm, Duke Gaylord <fague-ba...@churchandwellesley.com>
wrote:

One man's fish is another's poisson.

On Nov 28, 8:44 pm, Duke Gaylord <fague-ba...@churchandwellesley.com>
wrote:

I'm not sure I'd call it a cross-language pun, exactly.  That would be
like Duggy's and Frank's examples, where a phrase in one language
sounds like one in another language.

This is in the "French Without Tears" category.  "Elle a des idees au-
dessus de sa gare."

--
Jerry Friedman

There's the old joke with the punchline "one egg is enough".

Wiki has some:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilingual_pun

On Nov 29, 3:44 am, Duke Gaylord <fague-ba...@churchandwellesley.com>
wrote:

More of a joke. And sorry, it's in (my rather poor) Spanish.

Un hombre llega a un edifício donde está sentado un viejo.
Dice el hombre "he oído que hay un buen escuela de inglés aqui. ?Es
verdad?"
El hombre se pone de pie en un salto, y dice "!If, if! !Between,
between!"

Mark

Duke Gaylord filted:

Here's a pun involving two languages, neither of which I speak, and a cultural
reference:

 http://members.cox.net/bagelhenge/pipasig.jpg

....r

The motto of the French navy is "A l'eau; c'est l'heure"

Duke Gaylord wrote, in
<eyYAq.109345$tf7.91455@en-nntp-13.dc1.easynews.com>
on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:44:10 -0500:

As the Frenchman said when, following directions to Victoria Station, he
ends up at Buckingham Palace, "C'est magnifique mais ce n'est pas la
gare".

A l'eau! C'est l'heur!

THE  ITALIAN  WHO  WENT  TO  DETROIT

One day I'ma go to Detroit to a bigga hotel. I'ma go down to eat
breakfast. I tella the waitress I wanna two piss's toast. She bring me
only one a piss. I tella her I wanna piss. She say to go to the toilet.
I say you no understand. I wanna two piss ona my plate. She say you
better not piss ona the plate, you sonna ma bitch. Ia don't even know
the lady, and she call me a sonna ma bitch.

Later, I'ma go to eat luch ata the Drake restaurant. The waitress bringa
me a spoon, and a knife, butta no fock. I tella her I wanna fock. So she
tella me everybody wanna fock. I tella her you no understand, I wanna
fock ona the table. She say you better not fock ona the table, you sonna
ma bitch.

So I'ma go back to my room at the hotel, and there isa no sheet onna my
bed. I calla the manager and tella him I wanna sheet. He tella me to go
to the toilet. I say you no understand. I wanna sheet ona my bed. He say
you better not sheet ona the bed you sonna ma bitch. Ia go then to check
out and the man at the desk saya to mea, peace on you. I say piss ona
you too, you sonna ma bitch.

I goa back to Italy.

Un petit d'un petit
Sept en a vole.
Un petit d'un petit
À décret folle.