Since I have not been blessed with a gift for languages, I really wish there was such a thing as an English/Cree Dictionary.
I am an ongoing source of entertainment for the men on staff at Northmart...3 in particular. They love to get me to say something in Cree, telling me it means one thing when it means something entirely different...and always something "naughty". They all think it is very funny, but the most hilarious was the one I came up with all on my own; and quite innocently as well.
One weekend just before Christmas Raymond, who races a team of sled dogs, was spending the weekend training his dogs. When I asked him what his plans for the weekend were, he told me that he was going mushing. Like most of you, I think of the word "mush" when someone mentions dog sleds and racing in the same sentence. I thought I was just saying a cute little play on words, thinking of "dash away, dash away dash away all"...Cute right? Except that "mushaway" may be an actual verb, but not a made up one for "race away"...it's more like something that keeps you busy for most of your honeymoon.
Could I come out with this comment in front of only one person? Of course not! this is ME we're talking about it; I had to say it in front of a roomful of men (no women) and the "3 Dirty Old Men" were amongst them. This has become a favorite story amongst them and I'm sure will be retold many times after I've moved on. Thank God I can laugh at myself.
Never trust grumpy old men!Tell them to go Nak Nak!
ReplyDeleteI have a Cree/English Dictionary... but that word is definitely not in there... :)
ReplyDeleteRevenge is a dish best served cold... teach them how to say, "I pee in my coffee" in French (but tell them it's how to order coffee with milk and sugar).
"Ich pullere in meinen Kaffee."
ReplyDeleteAhahaha! That used to happen to me all the time in Denmark. I think there is something universal about teaching people all the dirty words in other languages.
ReplyDelete