Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Adventures in Spanish
Mark Fowler reports that A friend of his niece has a very ornate tattoo that reads "Last of a dying bread." Reminds me of a few adventures in Spanish.
Once in a Juarez bar, Don Felix, I asked for a "vaso de hielo," wanting a glass with just ice. My friends behind the bar gave me a hard time; seems their glasses are all made of glass, not ice.
A few years ago in Dallas, they had signs at bus stops that included the phrase, "...entablar el camion...," wanting to refer to getting on the bus, but instead, their idea of "boarding the bus" meant nailing boards to the bus.
Finally, at Danals Restaurant in Irving, TX, a favorite hangout of mine, most of the customers and employees spoke Spanish as their primary language. One of the waitresses, not so much. Having a sore arm, she said, "Me duele mi arma." I did not laugh at her, but I did have a good time re-telling the story to other people in the place. "Arma," of course, refers to a weapon, not a body part.
Once in a Juarez bar, Don Felix, I asked for a "vaso de hielo," wanting a glass with just ice. My friends behind the bar gave me a hard time; seems their glasses are all made of glass, not ice.
A few years ago in Dallas, they had signs at bus stops that included the phrase, "...entablar el camion...," wanting to refer to getting on the bus, but instead, their idea of "boarding the bus" meant nailing boards to the bus.
Finally, at Danals Restaurant in Irving, TX, a favorite hangout of mine, most of the customers and employees spoke Spanish as their primary language. One of the waitresses, not so much. Having a sore arm, she said, "Me duele mi arma." I did not laugh at her, but I did have a good time re-telling the story to other people in the place. "Arma," of course, refers to a weapon, not a body part.
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