Lost in translation?, for the linguists amongst us Options

[morceau]

Mrs Stetenorve and I went out to dinner, and I thought I would impress her by ordering in almost fluent Italian.



Pity it was an Indian restaurant...

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Good one.

Once on holiday in Belgium (the French part) I got sick of being the only one willing to ask for anything, so I sent my husband to pay the bill for a meal with the instructions "ask for l'addition". He went and repeated this to the waiter, whose face lit up in delight - "Ah, it's the same word in French" he said.

[Swell Box]

We went to an Italian restaurant near the Quayside in Newcastle, where we were served by a young waiter who we were sure was trying to sound very Italian, but probably wasn't.

When we came to order coffee it wasn't on the menu, so we couldn't point at it, and he seemd to have difficulty understanding what we wanted. I thought I would risk asking in Italian with 'quattro caffe accomodano'. (I know it's probably wrong, but it was the best I could manage.) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif)

Anyhow, he nodded, and came back with three coffees! I tried to explain that I had asked for four. He called another waiter, and as they went away I heard our waiter say, 'why noah man, I thoaught qua'roa meant three'. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

SB