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Homonyms and Their Grammatical Heirs


Turtle

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I seldom read this thread but today I got an e-mail about a post and had some spare time and decided to have a look. DougF's post hit my funny bone and I just had to tell you all about an event I experienced back in 1981. I was in Japan negotiating a contract. As my translator, the Japanese negotiator and I were walking into the local hotel, I laughed about a motorcycle parked there with the word “Lead” splashed across the fuel tank in a clearly professional logo. I pointed at it and said, “who in the world would want to buy a ‘Lead’ motorcycle.” The Japanese negotiator responded with, “that’s not a lead motorcycle, that’s a ‘lead motorcycle’” using a long “e”. I told him that no one really fluent in English would interpret the name of something to be an adjective if a noun interpretation existed. He responded with, “Oh... That’s probably why they didn’t sell in the U.S., we had wondered what the problem was”.

 

Have fun -- Dick

 

I hope you visit regulary now Doc. :nahnahbooboo: :alien_dance: I have heard a similar story about Chevy Nova's not selling in Mexico because 'no-va' is 'not go'. :hihi:

 

If you find yourself fined, best to just pay up.

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