foreign words that are just BETTER at getting the point across

Stogies said:
Allow me to clear that up, this is not about clearing your plate. This is about adding taking the last piece of Schnitzel from the serving platter on the table and adding it to your plate. Slight difference.
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Ah!

Well...if that last piece wasn't meant to be eaten, it shouldn't have been cooked!

:p
 
Crazy Carl said:
Old German joke- I love France. Lovely place, only one problem- the French.
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It's funny because it's true. People try to say it's the Germans that aren't cordial. Visit Germany then visit France being sure to tell them both in English that you're an American. The Germans will invite you to dinner in English and the French will tell you to piss off, in French.
 
Timfoilhat said:
It's funny because it's true. People try to say it's the Germans that aren't cordial. Visit Germany then visit France being sure to tell them both in English that you're an American. The Germans will invite you to dinner in English and the French will tell you to piss off, in French.
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Only made it to France once. Wasn't impressed. Working in Germany, if I walked in and started asking my questions in English, they'd say they didn't speak it. If I started out attempting German, they'd answer in English.

Ran into an old man in Bremerhaven, once he saw my name, the next day he was a bringing me apples, rolls and sardines
 
1075tech said:
Only made it to France once. Wasn't impressed. Working in Germany, if I walked in and started asking my questions in English, they'd say they didn't speak it. If I started out attempting German, they'd answer in English.

Ran into an old man in Bremerhaven, once he saw my name, the next day he was a bringing me apples, rolls and sardines
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Yeah, that's the deal with travel everywhere. You need to try to say basic stuff in the native tongue as best you can. And be a little humble about it.
 
Timfoilhat said:
It's funny because it's true. People try to say it's the Germans that aren't cordial. Visit Germany then visit France being sure to tell them both in English that you're an American. The Germans will invite you to dinner in English and the French will tell you to piss off, in French.
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Facts. Alsace-Lorraine is the only part of that country I like. Helps that they’re Germans who got jumped by the border.
 
Timfoilhat said:
Yeah, that's the deal with travel everywhere. You need to try to say basic stuff in the native tongue as best you can. And be a little humble about it.
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I always ended up working as the dog robber/"Special Projects NCO" in my units in Germany. Lots of (German) civilian employees on post over there & it turns out speaking the local dialect like a homeboy has a way of making red tape & bureaucracy disappear when you need something done.
 
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1075tech said:
Only made it to France once. Wasn't impressed. Working in Germany, if I walked in and started asking my questions in English, they'd say they didn't speak it. If I started out attempting German, they'd answer in English.
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They usually started off by saying “Your German is terrible. I will speak English”.
 
Stogies said:
German "Eintopf" = "Stew" but leaving it completely open what goes into it. Could be anything.
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That's reminds me of the English bastardization of goulash. If an American offers you goulash it's what you're calling stew. Only Hungarians make real goulash.
 
Timfoilhat said:
That's reminds me of the English bastardization of goulash. If an American offers you goulash it's what you're calling stew. Only Hungarians make real goulash.
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Hungarian goulash hovers somewhere between "soup" and "stew" in terms of amount of broth.

And a LOT of paprika!

I haven't seen any Hungarian goulash that had macaroni in it. That's kind of like putting macaroni in chili and still calling it "chili". No, that's "chili mac". The macaroni seems to be an American affectation. Not that I don't like it, but I consider adding pasta to dishes like this a "filler".
 
Timfoilhat said:
It's funny because it's true. People try to say it's the Germans that aren't cordial. Visit Germany then visit France being sure to tell them both in English that you're an American. The Germans will invite you to dinner in English and the French will tell you to piss off, in French.
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Had a coworker, working in Germany. They went to dinner in France, started speaking English and were told to leave the restaurant.

RetiredUSNChief said:
I haven't seen any Hungarian goulash that had macaroni in it. That's kind of like putting macaroni in chili and still calling it "chili".
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My mother, who claims it started with her grandmother would call baked macaroni with ground beef and tomato sauce with cheddar cheese on it goulash. Never understood that one.
 
noway2 said:
Had a coworker, working in Germany. They went to dinner in France, started speaking English and were told to leave the restaurant.


My mother, who claims it started with her grandmother would call baked macaroni with ground beef and tomato sauce with cheddar cheese on it goulash. Never understood that one.
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Yeah, similar here. Chili with less seasoning plus elbow macaroni was goulash in my house.
 
Timfoilhat said:
Yeah, similar here. Chili with less seasoning plus elbow macaroni was goulash in my house.
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Interesting. So the concept obviously originated somewhere, and had a cultural aspect to it that was somewhat widespread. I have to wonder if the change was in part a way to "Americanize" the dish as part of a cultural adaptation or assimilation?
 
noway2 said:
Had a coworker, working in Germany. They went to dinner in France, started speaking English and were told to leave the restaurant.
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Man...you ought to try herding a bunch of drunk Sailors across Paris in the middle of the night!

I was the only sober guy in the group, about 6 or 8 of us if I remember right. The sober guy who watches everybody else and hopefully keeps a liberty incident from happening.

Well, after hopping from one sidewalk beer drinking place to another, everybody finally decided we needed to go see the Eifel Tower.

"How do we get there?"

Me: "It's over there, guys." *points to the Eifel Tower sticking up over the buildings* "Let's just walk that way!"

So there I was, steering the drunken group down one street and over to another, zig-zagging our way through Paris in the general direction of the Eifel Tower.

Then the guys decided they needed more beer as they passed another bar. But the door was locked...because apparently it was a bit more exclusive than the other places. And the door pounding began.

I'm standing there thinking I need to get the guys moving to some place else before the police down on us when the door opens and this guy looks us over.


"WE WANT SOME BEER!" (Great way to endear us with the local establishment, guys, thanks.)

The guy looks at us and says "We do not like your shoes." (Sneer in a horrible French accent as you read that to get the full effect.)

"YEAH? WELL WE DON'T LIKE YOUR F*CKIN' COUNTRY EITHER, BUT HERE WE ARE! NOW GIVE US SOME BEER!"

I finally managed to get the herd of drunken Sailors moving again, with no repercussions beyond a bad impression.

🤣 🤣 🤣


HOWEVER...there are a great many places in an area like Paris where there is a dress code and they will not let you in if you don't meet it. If you're dressed American casual with blue jeans, sneakers, and a whatever-shirt, you aren't going to cut it in a lot of "decent" establishments. A collared shirt (preferably button down), casual pants which aren't blue jeans, and shoes that aren't sneakers will get you into. I wanted to go to a cabaret show, just to say I've been to one while in Paris. The only one I could get into was the Lido de Paris where it was PREFERRED to have better than the nice jeans, collared shirt, and sneakers that I had, but not an outright rule.
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
Man...you ought to try herding a bunch of drunk Sailors across Paris in the middle of the night!

I was the only sober guy in the group, about 6 or 8 of us if I remember right. The sober guy who watches everybody else and hopefully keeps a liberty incident from happening.

Well, after hopping from one sidewalk beer drinking place to another, everybody finally decided we needed to go see the Eifel Tower.

"How do we get there?"

Me: "It's over there, guys." *points to the Eifel Tower sticking up over the buildings* "Let's just walk that way!"

So there I was, steering the drunken group down one street and over to another, zig-zagging our way through Paris in the general direction of the Eifel Tower.

Then the guys decided they needed more beer as they passed another bar. But the door was locked...because apparently it was a bit more exclusive than the other places. And the door pounding began.

I'm standing there thinking I need to get the guys moving to some place else before the police down on us when the door opens and this guy looks us over.


"WE WANT SOME BEER!" (Great way to endear us with the local establishment, guys, thanks.)

The guy looks at us and says "We do not like your shoes." (Sneer in a horrible French accent as you read that to get the full effect.)

"YEAH? WELL WE DON'T LIKE YOUR F*CKIN' COUNTRY EITHER, BUT HERE WE ARE! NOW GIVE US SOME BEER!"

I finally managed to get the herd of drunken Sailors moving again, with no repercussions beyond a bad impression.

🤣 🤣 🤣


HOWEVER...there are a great many places in an area like Paris where there is a dress code and they will not let you in if you don't meet it. If you're dressed American casual with blue jeans, sneakers, and a whatever-shirt, you aren't going to cut it in a lot of "decent" establishments. A collared shirt (preferably button down), casual pants which aren't blue jeans, and shoes that aren't sneakers will get you into. I wanted to go to a cabaret show, just to say I've been to one while in Paris. The only one I could get into was the Lido de Paris where it was PREFERRED to have better than the nice jeans, collared shirt, and sneakers that I had, but not an outright rule.
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My wife told me before my first trip to Europe that everyone wore dress pants, not jeans. I spent a bit of money buying new clothes. Got to Europe and found everybody wears jeans. The shoes are still better than Nikes but otherwise they're starting to look like Americans including the extra weight.
 
Timfoilhat said:
My wife told me before my first trip to Europe that everyone wore dress pants, not jeans. I spent a bit of money buying new clothes. Got to Europe and found everybody wears jeans. The shoes are still better than Nikes but otherwise they're starting to look like Americans including the extra weight.
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Jeans and a sportscoat with white sneakers my man.. that is the erupean way. Throw in the occasional scarf, ascott, and man purse and you'll have the look mastered
 
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