121 dtg (Homer was right)
Homer Simpson had a point when he told Flanders that the only reason people didn't like crab grass was because it was called crab grass, and that if we called it something nice instead it would be no problem (from memory I think he suggested "flower grass").
You know that yellowish gum you sometimes find in your eye after you wake up? I normally call it "sleep", and it never occurred to me that it might be embarrassing to point it out to somebody ... "ahh, you've got some sleep in your eye ... there you go, that's better".
Well, apparently it can. In Chinese, the word for sleep is Yan-Shi （眼屎），which literally translates as "eye - secretion". The problem is that the second word, shi, has a more widely used meaning - excrement. So, the next time you tell your Chinese friend they have some sleep in their eye, if they look a little embarrassed (as my teacher did), then it's probably because you've just said to them "ahh, you got some pooh coming out of your eye".
5 Comments:
hahahaha :)
true true
Hello Paulie.
Carey has been drinking straight vodka this evening, so i am typing for him. See what starting your own business does for you? Complete inability to function as a normal member of society. At least when working for Cadbury he occasionally brought home chocolate.. now? Its all about vending vending vending. How do you say 'hot and healthy food vending' in mandarin?
We found your blog very amusing.. when you come to London?
Lou (and incapacitated Carey)
you could use:
又热又健康的菜自动服务
you re you jian-kang de cai zi-dong fu-wu
which means "hot and healthy food personal service"
Hi Paulie,
Funny! So you are truly mastering Chinese - well done! I am better off studying for my francais test next week ;-)
Wishes from Brussels!
Volodja
Hey,
I come to your blog through Saki's link. I'm a Taiwanese and I have to say your chinese is amazing!~
keep working on it. Wish you all the best.
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