European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 27, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse No strangers to twisted Tongue Rosemary Sawyer Start write first of two parts its a fear most americans Back Home have. Never experienced. Only those of us Lucky enough to live in a foreign country know it. I Call it die German for. A fear of assault with a foreign the worst thing about Faup is there a Little you can do to defend yourself against it. No matter How Many foreign language classes you take locals will still hit you with the one phrase you be never heard. Astore sales clerks for example actually employ intelligence agents to Sleuth out which unfamiliar phrase they should draw to ask a May i help you a when they do the Spray of meaningless word leaves you standing by the souvenir shelves feeling so simple you re sure there Sai string of drool dangling from your lower lip. And it usually Hap. Pens just when you had begun feeling confident with your shopping vocabulary. American Judy Bland of Livorno Italy knows such Embarrass mint. She wrote of the time she and her husband ventured into an italian Village to buy envelopes. A we had looked the word for envelopes up in the dictionary and thought our Only problem was to figure out which shop sold them a Judy wrote in response to our request for readers to share their language gaffes. The couple went to a Bookstore where sure enough a clerk approached them before they could find the envelopes themselves. Judy a husband took the Lead and told the clerk they were looking for envelopes. Of course he used their newly acquired italian word Bustos. The clerk gave him a a very strange look a Judy recalled. She decided to try to help the communication by adding that they needed Long envy Lopes Fiusios Lungo she said with charade like hand motions. Again the a very strange look spread across the clerks face. Fortunately Judy a husband spied and pointed to some envelopes lying on a shelf. Only later did an italian Friend clue them in on the one letter slip up that provoked the clerks expression. As Murphy a Laws foreign language appendix would have it the word for envelopes is Husta. Busto Means bust. Thank goodness they knew enough italian to ask for Long ones. 1 wonder though if maybe Judy and i and other americans overseas worry too much about this foreign language stuff. I mean Why should i learn German just because i live in the land of schnitzel and sauerkraut this question was raised last year while i was visiting the United states. You remember the country with mottoes like a what is the metric system a and a let them learn while there a High school Friend introduced me to her son in Law. A this is my Friend from Germany you be heard so much about a she told the 20-year-old. A wow you re from Germany a he said with wide eyes. A do you speak greek Quot speaking of greek Sharon Fausnight who cowslip of the Tongue a few months ago staff writer Rosemary Sawyer wrote a column about Faux Pas made in a foreign Tongue. Readers were asked to Send in samples of similar errors they had made. Here arc some of their responses. A a a a a a a a. Lives in Sembach a Germany related her favorite slip of the Tongue. Sharon s Mother had Learned a few greek words while she was visiting Sharon in hellenic Kon Greece. One morning her Mother a bravely set out alone to our neighbourhood bakery for bread a Sharon recalled. A she came Back beaming and proudly told us that she had greeted a lot of neighbors and the bakery what her Well meaning Mother did know was she had mispronounced the word for Good morning which is Kali Marx. Instead of saying Good morning to the passers by she was saying cult Quiri which Means squid. At least a everyone smiled at her her pleased Mother reported upon resuming to the House. Mindy Graber of Vicenza Italy said sift pro Vidd a few smiles for some locals in an Airport gift shop once. Mindy had been living in Italy for More than a year when she took Atrip to. The United states. During a Layover in Shannon Ireland Mindy loudly asked the Man at the Cash Register a excuse me do you speak English a. Quot everyone in the whole store could not Stop. Laughing at me Quot Mindy wrote. A boy 1 was Mindy we know the feeling. Next Welcome to Auffahrt. Feedback is the Best thing that happened to you during 1990? Shawn Webb cafes shop Pette manager Munich Germany the thing i liked Best about 1990 was a trip i took to Russia. Spec. Crystal Mcbee 503rd finance support unit Giessen depot Germany going Home to get my kids because we were on deferred travel and Hadnot seen them for six months. Sgt. 1st class Miguel Maya he co 66th military intelligence brigade Munich Germany the Best thing that happened is that i started an alcohol recovery program that changed my life. Val Parsons administrative assistant army Community services Munich Germany i got a new Job. In a getting better Opportunity from where i used to work As a commissary cashier. Paul Davis family member living in Kohlheim Germany was told that i would become an Eagle scout. Compiled by stars and stripes staff january 27. 1991 sunday to plus c
