I like writing, already since I was a kid. Reading was my first hobby, books weren't safe for me and the thicker those books were, the more I enjoyed it. And I became critical as it comes to Dutch grammar, well nothing weird to that as both my parents stimulated this habit by getting me involved in playing 'Scrabble'. Then there were those brain-brakers: cryptograms, oh I loved them' suckers, it was playing language and you needed to be a smartass to understand all the hidden hints. Besides that my old man was a typographer to a local newspaper and was typing and printing and correcting...
The Dutch (and Scandinavian even more) people are known for speaking their languages. The British, French and the German however score significant lower in speaking a second 'tongue'. Most Americans stick to English only, (some of them even think Paris France is a model) LOL.
But our laughs are not at you....
This story realy happened.
It was back in the 90's when this Dutch girl maked her first trip abroad. She was still a teener and most likely skipped a lot of her English classes. It happened on her trip to England at the ferry somewhere between Calais-Dover. Some miles offshore the stores on the ship open their Taxfree shops to sell their stuff, now all she wanted was a bar of chocolate like Mars or something.
( Now we Dutchmen are also 'famous' in translating each word as it comes, regardless the grammar. Don't know a word ? never mind, just insert the Dutch equivalent. It's similar to Taglish, the mix of Tagalog and English).
In Dutch the order would be: "Mag ik een reep chocola van U", or for short, "mag ik 'n reep van U", ( well, while trying to pronounce this, you probably smell the rat). This 'reep' phoneticly sounds just the English 'rape'.
YES, she was there at the counter and asked this guy behind it:
"Please, can you give me a reep".
And she was smiling at him, hummm..
Tell you, before this boat had its anchors into English seabed, all crew and passengers picked up this 'ferry-tale' . This girl was only told at arrival what had caused the hilarity. The Hulk easely turns green, but she got a colour one can't describe. Somewhere between 'Pearple Rain' and 'Pearple Heart' ..And she was smiling at him, hummm..
Huhuhuh,
Please 'bear' with me as I know that my English words sometimes make you smile....hahaha
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HAHAHA Love this, Bert!! ~Jess
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