Putting Your Stamp On The Language
(A family friend is visiting from Quebec. His English is mostly good but suffers from occasional lapses.)
Clerk: “How may I help you today?”
Friend: “Yes, hello. I need to buy some timbers.”
Clerk: “Some what?”
Friend: “Timbers.”
Clerk: “Sir, this is a post office. Perhaps you want the hardware store?”
Friend: “No, no, timbers. To mail the letters with. The little pictures? They are, um, gluey on the back?”
Clerk: *light-bulb moment* STAMPS. You want stamps.”
Friend: “Yes! Stamps.”
(The French word for “stamp” is “timbre”, pronounced like “TAM-bruh”.)
Friend: *to me, in French* “Why didn’t you help me?”
Me: *in French* “I thought it was funny.”
Friend: *in French* “What’s a ‘timber,’ then?”
Me: *in French* “It’s another word for wood.”
Friend: *in French* “Well, that makes NO sense. English is a crazy language.” *in English* “Yes, I will have a book of stampings, please.”
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Question of the Week
Have you ever served a bad customer who got what they deserved?
