12.4.06

Huh?

One of the things I will never miss about living here (see yesterday's post) is the way that a lot of people choose to express the fact that they haven't heard something by saying "huh?"

Oh, but it's not just "huh?"

Normally it's "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH?"

Now, when I was growing up, my parents used to get on my case if I said "what?" instead of "pardon?" or "I'm sorry?"

I dread to think what they would have done to me if I'd started braying at them like a mortally wounded donkey.

And unlike England - where this shit is slowly catching on - it's not just an affectation of the young.

My job involves talking to a lot of people over the phone and, with my accent, sometimes customers have a harder time understanding me. Old and young people are out there, just braying away. In fact, it's usually the old people that are the loudest and most donkeyesque.

I guess I speak to a wounded donkey, on average, four or five times an hour.


With so many donkeys, you'd think the Democrats would be more successful.


(obscure political joke. Don't worry if you don't get it.)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great joke!! I think we're possibly something like kindred spirits. I'm a German atheist living in Davis, CA. I've never seen so many churches and I'm from Bavaria, so that counts for something. I understand that you miss good old Europe. I do too. Would you think it possible that a university town with 30.000 students has virtually no nightlife? That would not be possible in Germany or England.

Have a nice day