Hi! Hello! Good evening!
I have the feeling I'm missing something (because english is not my first language), sometimes it's just a feeling, sometimes I am absolutely sure I missed the joke.
Would you please explain those jokes (or puns, you tell me)? Right now I just remember two, but I'm sure there will be more.
"What a silly bunt" my dictionary can't help me with this, can you? what is a "bunt" or a "cunt"? (since he can't say the letter C)
"Donkey Rides" I'm sure it's not two boys carrying a donkey, but what is it?
Thank you very much for your help!
Comments
Not that late: This is not a question about language, but about British culture, and I think some people would find it interesting.
It's about that hotel that inspired John Cleese to write Fawlty Towers, here you have one of the gazillion times he told the same story. Anyway, my question is: How do you eat?
I keep my knife and fork in hand while eating, lay them down on either side of the plate when having a rest, and put them down side-by-side on my plate when I've finished.
I think Americans also use the same cutlery for each course (except dessert), but perhaps an American could correct/confirm that. We use new cutlery for each course.
It depends if you are eating formally or informally in America. Formally, we eat the same way as the British.
I'm American and it depends on the person. However from my experience at least for the most part you're right. As for me though, I usually only have one course because I'm almost never hungry enough to eat more than one.
Hmm... ok, thank you.
TheRealGilliamFan: Everything in his translation book is urban slang of sexual meaning. LOL, I'm not gonna type it, but here ya go on the donkey rides:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=donkey+riding
I could be wrong but I really don't think "donkey rides" refers to titty fucking. The joke was in the sign - it is not clear whether "donkey" is the subject (the donkey gets a ride) or the object (we get to ride on a donkey). Context tells us it is the latter because, in the UK, we know we get to ride on a donkey at the seaside (in Egypt they get to ride camels), but the visual joke is that Mr. Chapman and Mr. Cleese are giving the donkey a ride, thus subverting the contextual meaning of the sign.
I think this is a fascinating thread if there are other instances when foreigners don't quite get the joke.
Yes, the pun sound more likely... don't worry, if I have more trouble I will post it, I guess that most of us "foreingners" don't realize when we don't get the joke.
Not that late: I have another one! "Nutshell"
(What does it mean?)
"In a nutshell" means "in short" and it captures the essence of the whole thing/person in a brief explanation.