We had Breakfast #2 downstairs at El Sanedrín this morning. Teré wasn’t feeling well. Jerry made chicken soup a few days ago and had a small container in the freezer. He asked Teré if she would like it since she could simply heat it up in the restaurant kitchen for lunch. Jerry is a bit casual with his Spanish vowels. I’ve told him he needs to be more precise in his pronunciation since a word can completely change in meaning with a different vowel ending. Chicken is pollo. But, Jerry didn’t ask Teré if she liked sopa de pollo (chicken soup), he asked if she liked sopa de polla. Teré, yet again, burst out laughing. (We have that effect.) It was clear that Jerry’s pronunciation meant something entirely different but I didn’t know what. I told him he should have said pollo and not polla.
I then, in Spanish, asked Teré what polla was. She blushed (she blushes easily) and said it was something she did not have but I did (Jerry, also).
Teré told Jerry that she would love some sopa de pollo but not the other, going on to say that she thought perhaps that’s what “preservativos” were for.
LOL! Learning can be so much fun. And watching other people learning is even more so. Because, when it's me learning, I'm too embarrassed to have fun. Enjoy your sopa!
That is priceless!
I hope Tere feels better soon.
Elaine:
I'm sure there are plenty more to come.
I will pass on your well wishes to Teré. She'll appreciate it!
Walt the Fourth:
It's a good thing we know how to laugh at ourselves. Otherwise, we'd be living in hell right now!
Jerry gave the sopa to Teré and she was very happy (and still blushing… and laughing).
Lol. This made me chuckle (rather loudly I have to add!) I love the way some things can be lost in translation when getting to grips with a language and manage to make us laugh at ourselves. Thank you for sharing that!
Get well wishes to Tere.
Jeff:
I don't know if you saw an earlier post http://mitchellismoving.blogspot.com/2012/01/chocolate-street-music-crotches-and.html. So much to learn and so much trouble to get into.
Teré will be so flattered by the well wishes. Thanks!
Laughter is a secret ingredient to get healthy again. Better don't cook the polla and serve as a broth.
Peter:
Good idea. Sopa de pollo (chicken soup) is known as Jewish penicillin. I don't know what sopa de polla would be.
Uh,Mitch… Jewish Penisillin. Duh.
My apologies to the Dowager Duchess…
Walt the Fourth:
Of course!
I'm the only one who will be in trouble with the Dowager Duchess. I can just hear it… MITCHELL!!!
But I'm off the hook at the moment. "Something happened" to Explorer on The Duchess's computer and everything is now too small for her to see. I tried giving her instructions to fix it while Skyping but no success. She's waiting for someone to come over and fix it for her. Maybe I should just get all my swearing out of my system while she's not looking.
That is funny! Those damn vowels will do it every time! lol
Jim:
Very dangerous things.
You could make a fortune off Jerry's act. I love it.
Nubian:
If only that were true.
Too funny…vowels…so important I guess…love your language mistakes..makes everyone laugh!
sophie…^5(ron):
Very powerful little letters. But Teré said today the sopa de polla was a miracle cure.
Oh dear … that is quite a different thing!!! Why is it always those types of words that are just a little bit off from other words you use all the time!?
Jenners:
It's so we can make people laugh.
I made Mexican Chicken soup once and it was thickened with broken up bread. Hope you soup was good and that Tere feels better. Love the language faux pas! Well done gave me a laugh.
the cuby poet:
This is just a variation on the chicken soup Jerry usually makes. A little bit of this and a little bit of that. Teré feels much better. More faux pas to come!