Tuesday, May 16, 2006

This Is Not A Language Blog

Odd how English English and American English is replete with similar sounding words, often foreign in origin, that convey completely different meanings on either side of the Atlantic:

A Barrister (aka a trial lawyer)

A Barista (aka a holder of a Masters in English Lit)

Never hire a barista to argue a traffic dispute on your behalf, unless you fancy the idea of a bungled case and the judge getting covered in frothy milk and simple syrup. Conversely, never drink coffee prepared by a barrister, as lawyers from different firms are always sneaking in and super-heating the beverages on offer in order to initiate personal injury suits against their rivals.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hilarious!!!!!!!!

Mondale said...

For our American cousins I will illuminate some of what weasel has written.
That is a picture of Ms Cherie Blair, The Prime MInister's wife no less.

Wisdom Weasel said...

But no ulterior motive for that, Monders. Just the first picture of a barrister I came across.

Americans, please check in- does said piece need illuminating? Am I being obtuse again?

I should instead post a photo of the cast of that global icon, Hi-De-Hi.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, a fag there is a cigarette, and a fag here is a derogatory word for a homosexual.

WHO KNEW?!?!????!?!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Little Known Fact: all barristers wigs are made on the tiny British possession of St Helena. Due it s climate and longitude, St Helena is the perfect grazing spot for albino Frenchmen (descended from the bodyguards of Napoleon who was imprisoned and died on the island). Once a year, during the festival of testilamas, the islanders round up the albino french and gently harvest their pure white pubes for the barristers wigs.

And you can take that to the bank.
Yours,
Dirk Thrust

Anonymous said...

Surely Weasel's Little Bruvva is the Barryster?

Anyway, in the UK a hoe is a garden tool, but in the US it's a tramp, but a tramp in the UK is a bum in the US - while a bum in the UK is a fanny in the US, while a fanny in the UK is a euphemism for [insert public hate figure here].

I rest my case, m'lud.

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