The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #116859   Message #2517819
Posted By: GUEST,Semiramide
17-Dec-08 - 10:48 AM
Thread Name: Mondegreens' cousins: Soramimis
Subject: RE: Mondegreens' cousins: Soramimis
Another musical one is the tune "Cock up your beaver", which in rather antiquated English means simply "tilt up your hat, rakishly" but of course in American is rather more explicitly physical. And I read of someone working for (or, at least, paid by) the British Council who was surprised when his every hesitation during a speech in Ankara gave rise to not-quite suppressed giggles in the Turkish audience. Like many English politicians, commentators, etc, he had a habit of filling these pauses with the sound "um".   That, locally, is the indelicate word for female genitalia.




I'd love to hear a politician get up to speak, and begin with, "as I was saying to the honourable member... cunt ... only yesterday I spoke to the... cunt ... Secretary of State for.. cunt..."