[old joke] Add Your Vocab..

This joke is in the oldest e-mail archive that I still keep, dated back to the year 2000.

It still manages to get a bit of chuckles out of me, even though I still don't 'get' the Hokkien part.

=======================



The English did invent the English Language but they cannot use it
effectively (in as few words as possible) when communicating their
intentions. Just compare these few phrases that Asians and Britons use
to say the same thing especially when Singapore is trying to promote
proper usage of English.



1. In Shopping Mall

Britons : I'm sorry, Sir, but we don't seem to have the sweater you
want in your size, but if you give me a moment, I can call the other
outlets for you.

Asian : No stock-lah!

Hokkien : Bo liao!!

Malay : Habuk pun tadak.



2. Returning a call

Briton : Hello, this is John Wilkinson. Did anyone page for me a few moments ago?

Asian : Hallo, who page eh?

Hokkien : Allo - siang ka pay-jer ??!!

Malay : Eh eh, siapa cari I ??



3.When someone is in the way

Briton : Excuse me, I'd like to get by. Would you please make way?

Asian : S-kews!

Hokkien : Siam!! ka nim bey siam!

Malay : Tepi, tepi. Na lalu ni.



4. When someone offers to pay

Briton : Hey, put your wallet away, this drink is on me.

Asian : No --- nid.

Hokkien : Neber mind lar!! wa heng lui!!

Malay : dah... dah baya.



5. When asking to be excused

Briton : If you would excuse me for a moment, I have to go to the gents.Please carry on without me, it would only take a moment.

Asian : Toy lert, toy lert, anyone?

Hokkien : wa ke pang sai ...........

Malay : Buang air dulu..



6.When entertaining

Briton : Please make yourself right at home

Asian : Don't be shy-lah

Hokkien : mai ke ki hor!

Malay : Jangan malu-lah, buat macam harta mak bapa kau.



7. When doubting someone

Briton : I don't recall you giving me the money

Asian : Where got ?

Hokkien : Ka ni nar ...... mai kay kay hor !

Malay : Jangan merepek-lah, pergi-lah lu.



8. When declining an offer

Briton : I'd prefer not to do that if you don't mind

Asian : Doe - waaaaaaa

Hokkien : Mai............

Malay : Tak ma.....u...... lah



9. When deciding on a plan of action

Briton : What do you propose we do now that the movie is sold out and all the restaurants are closed?

Asian : So how?

Hokkien : tong gim ai cho si mi???

Malay : Apoh nak buat ???



10. when disagreeing on a topic of discussion

Briton : Err, Tom, I have to stop you there. I understand where you are
coming from but I really have to disagree with what you said about.

Asian : You mad, ah?

Hokkien : mai siao lar !!

Malay : Gila-ah lu.



11. When asking someone to lower their voice

Briton : Excuse me, but could you please lower your voice, I'm trying to concentrate over here.

Asian : Shaddap lah!

Hokkien : mai ka nim bey kau pay kau bu lar !!

Malay : Eh!! Diam-lah, tutup mulut.



12. When asking someone if he or she knows you

Briton : Excuse me but I noticed you staring at me for sometime. Do I know you?

Asian : See what? Never see before, ah??

Hokkien : Kwa kwa! kwa si mi? bo kwa kay si bo?

Malay : Tengot apa lu, mau kena, ah??



13. When asking for permission

Briton : Excuse me but do you think it would be possible for me to enter through this door?

Asian : [pointing at the door] can or not ?

Hokkien : ........................... [ no need to ask ]

Malay : Tepi, tepi. Lu punya bapa punya jalan, kah?







Image source: Cartoonstock.com



PS. This new version of Multiply
doesn't let me post photos (unless I use the tag system/html code) nor
arrange font size and colour! *growl*

[old joke] John Cleese's Letter to America

Here's a letter that has been
circulated in e-mails for several months; I just want to store it here.
Wheter it was really written by John Cleese or not, I don't know, but
it's surely hilarious. Just imagine John's voice and tone as Basil
Fawlty when reading this letter!





To the citizens of the United States of America:

---

In light of your
failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your
independence, effective immediately. Her Sovereign Majesty, Queen
Elizabeth II, will resume monarchical duties over all states,
commonwealths and other territories (excepting Kansas, which she does
not fancy).



Your new prime minister, Tony Blair, will appoint
a governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress
and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated
next year to determine whether any of you noticed.



To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:



1.
You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then
look up "aluminium," and check the pronunciation guide. You will be
amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter 'U'
will be reinstated in words such as 'colour', 'favour' and 'neighbour.'
Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the
letters, and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix "ise."



You
will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra'; you may elect
to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you find you simply can't cope
with correct pronunciation.



Generally, you will be expected to
raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels (look up "vocabulary").
Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such
as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of
communication.



2. There is no such thing as "US English." We
will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker
will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize."



3. You will relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen", but only after fully carrying out Task #1 (see above).



4.
July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday. November 2nd will
be a new national holiday, but to be celebrated only in England. It
will be called "Come-Uppance Day."



5. You will learn to
resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The
fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not
adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults.
If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or
speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a
gun.



6. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or
carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be
required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.



7.
All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and this is for your
own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we
mean.



All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left with immediate effect.



At
the same time, you will go metric immediately and without the benefit
of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.



8.
The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been
calling "gasoline") -roughly $6/US gallon. Get used to it.



9.
You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries
are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips
are properly called "crisps." Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal
fat, and dressed not with mayonnaise but with vinegar.



10. Waiters and waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.



11.
The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually
beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to
as "beer," and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be
referred to as "Lager." American brands will be referred to as
"Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine," so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.



12.
Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good
guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play
English characters. Watching Andie MacDowell attempt English dialogue
in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was an experience akin to having one's
ears removed with a cheese grater.



13. You will cease playing
American "football." There is only one kind of proper football; you
call it "soccer." Those of you brave enough will, in time, will be
allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American
"football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty
seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).



Further,
you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event
called the "World Series" for a game which is not played outside of
America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware that there is a world beyond
your borders, your error is understandable.



14. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.



15.
An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's
government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all
monies due backdated to 1776.



Thank you for your co-operation.