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Language Faux Pas And The SC Experience

farmerart
On my New Year's sabbatical in Monaco with a lady from Saint Raphael I committed a serious faux pas in French while we were dining in a fine restaurant. I used a word in describing our waitress common in French Canada that is entirely innocuous but means "cunt" in France. This was not well received by my date or the waitress.

This made me realize how important idiomatic fluency is. When I visit US SCs I am particularly careful with language because idiomatic Canadian English can be very different from the American variety. An example of this that had me sweating momentarily was using the word "boy" innocently in Arnie's in Chicago. A joke and a cocktail got me out of that fix.


Has this been an issue with any of you other guys on your SC odysseys as you deal with dancers or SC staff of Brazilian, Colombian, Russian, Lebanese etc. mother tongues?

12 comments

Latest

EarlTee
•
14 years ago
Mentioning my mother's tongue on this board is a faux pas.
EarlTee
•
14 years ago
Mentioning my mother's tongue on this board is a faux pas.
Dudester
•
14 years ago
Once in speaking to a Russian dancer, I mimicked a phrase I heard in "The Hunt for Red October", meaning "I speak Russian" (or so I thought). It turned out that I got the verb tense all wrong and she was half offended. I ended up getting no lappers from her.

Moral of the story-stick with the language(s) you know.
SuperDude
•
14 years ago
There is a beach dance in the low country of South Carolina called the "Shag." In Britain shagging is fucking. To be "all knocked up" in Britain is to be tired, in the U.S. pregnant. When JFK said "Ich bin ein Berliner," he actually said he was a piece of pastry. The correct phrase is "Ich bin Berliner."
In an effort to show respect for the country we are visiting, and to sometimes show off how smart we are, we use phrases in the native language without study, research or practice. (OOPS, I really didn't mean that.) Dudester and Dirty Harry are right--"A man's got to know his limitations."
GSWx4
•
14 years ago
Hooker in Africa who wouldn’t take no for an answer. She took my subsequent insult in her colonial tongue as a much greater insult than I intended. C'est la guerre.
vincemichaels
•
14 years ago
Nope, farmeart, better luck with the Frogs next time.

Speaking of hookers GSWx4's post reminded me of something.
jackslash
•
14 years ago
When I was 20, I was in Paris and got invited to a large family dinner. I referred to a certain American politician who I thought was a jerk as a "con." Everyone stopped talking and stared at me disapprovingly. I had no idea what I has said.
farmerart
•
14 years ago
^^^^
jackslash:

Read my original post. It might give you an idea; though I suspect you are 'coning' us with this response. I think you know exactly what the word means.
Alucard
•
14 years ago
It is best not to try to speak a language if you can't speak it correctly.
dw.buck
•
14 years ago
the only language that works is money it gets me whatever i want in any counties SCs
MisterGuy
•
14 years ago
"When JFK said 'Ich bin ein Berliner,' he actually said he was a piece of pastry. The correct phrase is 'Ich bin Berliner.'"

JFK actually had it right. What he said indeed translates as "I am a Berliner". What you tried to say means "I'm Berlin".

What you refer to is an urban legend. It is a common misconception that Kennedy made an error by saying "Ich bin ein Berliner." The indefinite article "ein" is omitted when speaking of an individual's profession or residence but is necessary when speaking in a figurative sense as Kennedy did. Since the President was not literally from Berlin but only declaring his solidarity with its citizens, "Ich bin Berliner" would not have been correct.
Prim0
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14 years ago
I was teaching this kid some karate to help him defend himself from a group of thugs that were picking on him in school. He asked what kinda belt I had...I told it was from Sears! I told him, in Okinawa, belt means you no need rope to hold up pants! LOL
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