Mark Reads Discworld
- Thread starter DaveC
- Start date
I was sure that curry that's "very hot with bears" would be a typo for "beers". 
I haven't seen many typos in menus here in Aussieland (or even in Fourecks), but I once saw a typo that made me really laugh (as in, gut-laugh).
This was outside one of my favourite book shops here in the suburb I live in. Someone - apparently a religious extremist - was protesting against the bookshop, waving a Bible around with one hand and a placard in the other. This is sufficiently unusual in Australia that I went over to have a look at his placard. It said:
"GOD HATES BOOK LERNERS! (sic) AMOS 19:21"
Well I was a little unnerved at that for a second, until I realised that he wasn't referring to Lerner and Loewe.
I've also seen people putting up "For Sale" signs that are incredibly atrocious. For instance:
1. In the window of a whitegoods (fridges, washers etc.) store: GRAN SALE! HUGH CANTS LOOSE!
(They want to sell me their gran? And who is Hugh, and why is he canting in a loose manner?)
Or...
2. On a marquee, outside a hotel: CHECK OUT OUR LOW, LOW RATS
(Uhm... isn't that insulting to the rats?)
RathDarkblade said:
This was outside one of my favourite book shops here in the suburb I live in. Someone - apparently a religious extremist - was protesting against the bookshop, waving a Bible around with one hand and a placard in the other. This is sufficiently unusual in Australia that I went over to have a look at his placard. It said:
"GOD HATES BOOK LERNERS! (sic) AMOS 19:21"
Well I was a little unnerved at that for a second, until I realised that he wasn't referring to Lerner and Loewe.
I've also seen people putting up "For Sale" signs that are incredibly atrocious. For instance:
1. In the window of a whitegoods (fridges, washers etc.) store: GRAN SALE! HUGH CANTS LOOSE!
(They want to sell me their gran? And who is Hugh, and why is he canting in a loose manner?)
Or...
2. On a marquee, outside a hotel: CHECK OUT OUR LOW, LOW RATS
(Uhm... isn't that insulting to the rats?)
"GOD HATES BOOK LERNERS! (sic) AMOS 19:21"
Well I was a little unnerved at that for a second, until I realised that he wasn't referring to Lerner and Loewe.
I've also seen people putting up "For Sale" signs that are incredibly atrocious. For instance:
1. In the window of a whitegoods (fridges, washers etc.) store: GRAN SALE! HUGH CANTS LOOSE!
(They want to sell me their gran? And who is Hugh, and why is he canting in a loose manner?)
Or...
2. On a marquee, outside a hotel: CHECK OUT OUR LOW, LOW RATS
(Uhm... isn't that insulting to the rats?)
I see the mods have stepped in an attempt to pre-empt people complaining about Mark's reaction to the "N word" joke in Soul Music. They comment that the joke was in bad taste and that they would not accept people trying to justify Terry's use of this.
Interestingly, I Googled "the n word" and found that particular phrase only came into common usage during the OJ Simpson trial when a cop was accused of using racially charged language while on duty. He claimed that was not the case, but tapes of interviews with him interviewing black suspects, showed this was not the case and the real N word was used. The press when reporting this, and loathe to use the word itself in their reports started to refer to it as "the N word". That was in 1995. Soul Music was published in 1994. Terry, as usual has gone and been prescient again.
Actually, I remember the first time I read Soul Music, when it first came out. I never even considered it to mean anything other than the Poe reference. If it had come out now I'd have certainly be concerned about the joke. They are nuts of that site and I'm glad I deleted my account there.
Interestingly, I Googled "the n word" and found that particular phrase only came into common usage during the OJ Simpson trial when a cop was accused of using racially charged language while on duty. He claimed that was not the case, but tapes of interviews with him interviewing black suspects, showed this was not the case and the real N word was used. The press when reporting this, and loathe to use the word itself in their reports started to refer to it as "the N word". That was in 1995. Soul Music was published in 1994. Terry, as usual has gone and been prescient again.
Actually, I remember the first time I read Soul Music, when it first came out. I never even considered it to mean anything other than the Poe reference. If it had come out now I'd have certainly be concerned about the joke. They are nuts of that site and I'm glad I deleted my account there.
Tonyblack said:
I see the mods have stepped in an attempt to pre-empt people complaining about Mark's reaction to the "N word" joke in Soul Music. They comment that the joke was in bad taste and that they would not accept people trying to justify Terry's use of this.
Interestingly, I Googled "the n word" and found that particular phrase only came into common usage during the OJ Simpson trial when a cop was accused of using racially charged language while on duty. He claimed that was not the case, but tapes of interviews with him interviewing black suspects, showed this was not the case and the real N word was used. The press when reporting this, and loathe to use the word itself in their reports started to refer to it as "the N word". That was in 1995. Soul Music was published in 1994. Terry, as usual has gone and been prescient again.
Actually, I remember the first time I read Soul Music, when it first came out. I never even considered it to mean anything other than the Poe reference. If it had come out now I'd have certainly be concerned about the joke. They are nuts of that site and I'm glad I deleted my account there.
Interestingly, I Googled "the n word" and found that particular phrase only came into common usage during the OJ Simpson trial when a cop was accused of using racially charged language while on duty. He claimed that was not the case, but tapes of interviews with him interviewing black suspects, showed this was not the case and the real N word was used. The press when reporting this, and loathe to use the word itself in their reports started to refer to it as "the N word". That was in 1995. Soul Music was published in 1994. Terry, as usual has gone and been prescient again.
Actually, I remember the first time I read Soul Music, when it first came out. I never even considered it to mean anything other than the Poe reference. If it had come out now I'd have certainly be concerned about the joke. They are nuts of that site and I'm glad I deleted my account there.
You ought to tell them that - they'd probably ban you for agreeing with people they disagree with, though. Hipster freedom of speech strikes again.
I think I may have thought of 'the F word' which was (I think) a current phrase in the UK at the time but I never considered it to mean anything but nevermore either.
raisindot said:
RathDarkblade said:
This was outside one of my favourite book shops here in the suburb I live in. Someone - apparently a religious extremist - was protesting against the bookshop, waving a Bible around with one hand and a placard in the other. This is sufficiently unusual in Australia that I went over to have a look at his placard. It said:
"GOD HATES BOOK LERNERS! (sic) AMOS 19:21"
Well I was a little unnerved at that for a second, until I realised that he wasn't referring to Lerner and Loewe.
I've also seen people putting up "For Sale" signs that are incredibly atrocious. For instance:
1. In the window of a whitegoods (fridges, washers etc.) store: GRAN SALE! HUGH CANTS LOOSE!
(They want to sell me their gran? And who is Hugh, and why is he canting in a loose manner?)
Or...
2. On a marquee, outside a hotel: CHECK OUT OUR LOW, LOW RATS
(Uhm... isn't that insulting to the rats?)
"GOD HATES BOOK LERNERS! (sic) AMOS 19:21"
Well I was a little unnerved at that for a second, until I realised that he wasn't referring to Lerner and Loewe.
I've also seen people putting up "For Sale" signs that are incredibly atrocious. For instance:
1. In the window of a whitegoods (fridges, washers etc.) store: GRAN SALE! HUGH CANTS LOOSE!
(They want to sell me their gran? And who is Hugh, and why is he canting in a loose manner?)
Or...
2. On a marquee, outside a hotel: CHECK OUT OUR LOW, LOW RATS
(Uhm... isn't that insulting to the rats?)
I live in Melbourne, in the southeast of Australia. I take it that Alabama has plenty of God-botherers?
The Mad Collector said:
Restaurant menu I photographed in Jerez, Spain when there a couple of years ago. Lots of fun ones on this
I decided not to order any of the various ways of cooking Popes or the Fried Big Holes and to definitely avoid the Spurted of Iberian
I decided not to order any of the various ways of cooking Popes or the Fried Big Holes and to definitely avoid the Spurted of Iberian
Poor Popes.
I wonder which particular Popes get garlic sauce and which ones are served in a tortilla. Now, I guess that "Ribs of Iberian pig to the furnace" means "pork ribs, served well done"? If so, then 6.50 euros is very cheap for 300 grams of pork ribs.
Or have I got this the wrong way around? If 6'50 is not 6.50 euros, what else could it be?
RathDarkblade said:
raisindot said:
So....when did you move to Alabama, Rath?
I live in Melbourne, in the southeast of Australia. I take it that Alabama has plenty of God-botherers?
The Mad Collector said:
Restaurant menu I photographed in Jerez, Spain when there a couple of years ago. Lots of fun ones on this
I decided not to order any of the various ways of cooking Popes or the Fried Big Holes and to definitely avoid the Spurted of Iberian
I decided not to order any of the various ways of cooking Popes or the Fried Big Holes and to definitely avoid the Spurted of Iberian
Why on earth are there so many Popes on the menu?
RathDarkBlade said:
The Mad Collector said:
Restaurant menu I photographed in Jerez, Spain when there a couple of years ago. Lots of fun ones on this
Or have I got this the wrong way around? If 6'50 is not 6.50 euros, what else could it be?
RathDarkblade said:
"Named meat". That'll be an extra tuppence. Um, which bit was that again? I forgot.
But to call Pterry racist because of something like this, or because of the raven not saying "the N-word"... words fail me.
Badly-written stuff is a staple of British humour of course. I posted a link to Hoffnung's letters from Tyrolean landlords a while ago ("French widow in every room"). Americans might not get it.
RathDarkblade said:
[Yikes. I too would stay away from the Fried Big Holes (donuts, I presume?)
RathDarkblade said:
Now, I guess that "Ribs of Iberian pig to the furnace" means "pork ribs, served well done"? If so, then 6.50 euros is very cheap for 300 grams of pork ribs. Or have I got this the wrong way around? If 6'50 is not 6.50 euros, what else could it be?
Or have I got this the wrong way around? If 6'50 is not 6.50 euros, what else could it be?
One we eventually worked out with the help of the waitress who spoke no English so just using my very basic Spanish was that Turned Around was an omelette. Glad I sorted that one out as I am allergic to egg.
Popes by the way I worked out to be potatoes based on the various ways they were cooked, which could be an ecumenical position depending on your stand regarding Catholicism but does happily continue the general theme of the menus translation. We never did establish what Spurted of Iberian was.
In case you were wondering I had the cheese of goat roller salad