Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2002 00:59:42 +0000 (UTC) From: amesnopsamrak.demon.co.uk (Andrew Stephenson) Subject: Re: tarpaulin
In article <Ek0G9.186667$I6.16027921nopsaml1.home.nl> mhnopsamere.net "MH" writes: > There is no 'official language' in this group, but I do not > think there are many readers from Germany, as not many Germans > can communicate in English (or any other foreign language) and > there are not many SAABs in Germany. Hoo-o-o, man! You're going to get a load of *.de types jumping on you for that. A *.uk denizen, with GB English as my primary language, I must say I have long been impressed by how well our Euro-continental associates -- including the French [*] -- work at learning outlandish languages. Even if God is an Englishman, this is something special. Jeepers, in *.nl, where I deduce you live, people were so keen to practice their English on me (early 1960s), I never stood much of a chance to get anywhere with Dutch. Tell us it was a joke -- which didn't translate successfully? ;-) [* : The British get their own back on the French by "learning" their language and using it on them when we can. One Parisian thought I was a German. Most quickly switched to English. Some Germans on whom I have used my German have looked amused. Never let it be said the Germans have a limited sense of humour. They seem to understand farce very well. (**)] (** : This, of course, is British Humour which, despite decades of the Goons, Monty Python &c, sometimes fails to amuse. {***}) {*** : The British claim this, of course, just in case the joke being misunderstood by Those Foreigners actually is not funny.} -- Andrew Stephenson