Language geekery
It will be so funny when we go back to uni, walk into lectures and say "Ahoj", drop words like deki and prosím rather than saying thanks or please, and just generally speaking our special English person Czech.
I got fined 100 crowns the other day - I’m not telling you what I was doing, but you wouldn’t get fined for it in England. Two policemen came over, tutting at me. But I’m afraid I always find it hard to take them seriously because:
-
They’re usually quite young, tall and cute,
-
The writing on their shirts "Městská Policie" or something, is the same size and font as the writing on the barista’s t-shirts in Caffe Nero.
It’s a non-starter.
So anyway they’re standing there all masculine and sexy, telling me what I’ve been found guilty of, I’m sticking my chest out, flicking my hair, and protesting in Czech that I’m English and we don’t have that rule in England and I don’t understand because I’m English dammit! Alas, he was writing out a chit with my name on it. So I gave him my best Despina pout and asked in Czech
"Do I have to pay?"
The two policemen just looked at each other, then at me, then burst out laughing. Then I realised. What I had said was
"Musím plavit?"
which means
"Do I have to swim?"
Oh God. I corrected myself -
"Platit. Platit! Musím platit! JežíšMaria!"
- and threw in the Czech national swearword for good measure. Great, swearing at policemen will get you everywhere.
Then he couldn’t spell my name - like thousands of English people before him - so I handed him my bus pass to copy my details from. Did I mention that on my ID photo I look like I’m wanted for genocide?
But being ditsy pays. He gave me the minimum fine, obviously the entertainment value made up for my misdemeanour.
Meanwhile, I realised that my favourite Czech word (meaning self-service) also contains one of my favourite English words. And the word?
Samoobsluha
Could you tell me what your favourite words are?
Fined for pouting provocatively in a public place?
It was jaywalking, wasn’t it!
Comment by Jez — August 27, 2007 @ 3:09 pm
What on earth were you doing??I’m intrigued.
I’m quite partial to the word GLOBULE - always have been…not sure why. I like the word SERENDIPITY - always makes me want to skip and giggle, for some reason. On my blog I recently discussed the French for love handles - poignees d’amour - sounds much more attractive like that, doncha think?
Mya x
Comment by Mya — August 27, 2007 @ 3:18 pm
There are a lot of Native American (what we used to call “Indian”) names in the northeastern US. One of my favorites is “Massapequa”, a town on Long Island, east of New York City. It’s a crappy town with a great name.
There’s also “Ompompanoosuc” (a river in Vermont).
Comment by John — August 27, 2007 @ 4:05 pm
Now that’s just unfair, tell me what you did!!
Comment by mags — August 27, 2007 @ 6:32 pm
Despina is one of your favourite words moo??
I like wobble. I can’t think of any others right now, but wobble and bobble are good
I have no idea why.
Comment by Jo Beaufoix — August 27, 2007 @ 9:22 pm
- Mya, I am moving software as soon as I get back to the UK just so that I can comment on yours and other “blogger” blogs! I really haven’t abandoned you!
Yes, I think poignees d’amour makes them sound lovely! Very good words, especially Globule - said by Stephen Fry, of course.
- Jez, is that like the time you got fined for a chat-up line? Haha, you thought Samoobsluha was a made-up Despina word!
- Mags, uh-uh, not telling, at least not over my bl0g!
- Ahhh John, crappy towns with great names, very good words from you!
- Jo, if you like wobble and bobble, let me introduce you to flibble, spibble, bibble, and spibble-bibble, pachoo-chaa, spoo and speeeeeeeeeeee! I think you’ll get on.
Comment by missdespina — August 28, 2007 @ 9:26 am
Oh Jo, no, it’s not moo, think on the lines of what Mya said…
Ok, I’ll tell you.
MOOBS!
Comment by missdespina — August 28, 2007 @ 9:27 am
I LOVE the word globular. I discovered it when I was 14, and it was easily one of the best days of my life so far. That doesn’t say very much about me…except I’m a science geek with a fetish for words ;p
Comment by mags — August 28, 2007 @ 10:14 am
LMHO - I can’t read this blog when I’m at work! :-D
(I can’t stop giggling and my workmates can’t stop looking at me!)
xxx
Comment by Viv — August 28, 2007 @ 10:33 am
- Mags, do you remember Pete saying “primordial, protoplasmic molecule”? Classic stuff! All geeks welcome here. I love your word NANG!
- Viv, I’m sorry! What are your favourite words?
Comment by missdespina — August 28, 2007 @ 11:01 am
Sorry, but the pedant in me can’t let that slide. He actually said “primordial, protoplasmic atomic globule.” I should know as I had to mouth it behind him every night :-)
moobs is one of the most fantastic words in the world (I spotted it even if no one else did). I am also partial to “wang” and (purely for its phonic quality rather than its meaning) “feltch”.
Comment by thetallone — August 28, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
Ahhhhhhhhh I knew something didn’t sound quite right! Yes, you’re right not to let that slip.
Moobs is a great word - you mean wang the way we northerners say “oh just wang it into the tumble dryer for half an hour and it’ll be fine!” etc?
Comment by missdespina — August 28, 2007 @ 12:31 pm
Samobsluha…is that self-service in Czech?
To the Poles Czech really sounds funny. Not sure why, but it could be that it’s like Polish but with more vowels.
Fave words? Bifurcate. Just sounds gooohoood!
Comment by Kinuk — August 28, 2007 @ 2:46 pm
my favorite word is defenestrate, its just so specific! Also the person who commented about the native american words in the norteast is right. There are some cool city names out that way.
WHATD YOU DO??
TomC
Comment by ColbyPants — August 29, 2007 @ 7:46 am
They’re very into that over here in Prague, literally whenever they didn’t like anything they’d just defenestrate political leaders (who should have known that it would be better to have their meetings in the basement)!
I’M NOT TELLING WHAT I DID DO!
Comment by missdespina — August 29, 2007 @ 9:05 am
Nang is an awesome word. I’ve brought it back (and its better than sexy, ‘cos sexy never really went away…)
PLEASE tell me what you did. Message me on Facebook! It’ll cheer me through my days slog of revision… :D
Comment by mags — August 29, 2007 @ 10:09 am
- Kinuk, yes, samoobsluha is self-service. Bifurcate is brilliant, I love it. Sounds so violent…
Comment by missdespina — August 29, 2007 @ 12:09 pm