I'm Embarrassed to Admit...

[jeriendhal]

...that I was well into my thirties before I realized the correct reason why a particular gag from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was funny.

[Poll #1630612]

Comments

[xinef.livejournal.com]

Born in England, moved to Canada at age 8. Speak UK English with the vocab of an 8-yr-old. Fluent in US and Canadian English. So I do know what a zebra crossing is. Note, pronunciation of "zebra" in that context is zeb-ra with both vowels soft (eg first syllable rhymes with web).

[ankewehner.livejournal.com]

What gag?

[scarfman]

The Babelfish argument proving the non-existence of God.

[mjkj.livejournal.com]

...and here I thought Canadians speak French and English...

(Well, put me in for fluent German, too - and understanding AU-, CA-, UK- and most US-English)

[ankewehner.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

but I read that book once ten years ago and don't know what you mean

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Um, quoting from memory. Basically it's an argument a philosopher created to prove God doesn't exist. It roughly goes:

1) God exists because we have faith in him.

2) The Bablefish (a telepathic fish that translates anything you hear) is so incredibly useful that it couldn't evolve naturally, so it had to be created by God.

3) This proves God exists.

4) Since we now have proven God exists, we have no need for faith, so therefore he instantly ceases to exist.

As the book puts it "and for an encore he (the philosopher) went on to prove Black is White and immediately got run over at the zebra crossing."

[allah-sulu.livejournal.com]

Technically, that second question should say "in the galaxy", not in the world, since the Rory is not a terrestrial award.

I answered "fuck" because I first read the British version of Life, the Universe, and Everything before it was released in the states. Sadly, I no longer own that book, and only have it now in the American version.

[chewipaka.livejournal.com]

Also, uh... I had no idea that a Zebra crossing was anything other than where the african mammal crossed on the road. Apparently living in Africa for some of the more formative years makes you assume strange things.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

I honestly think "Belgium" is helluva lot funnier just because it's so freaking random. "Fuck" you can almost see as a real award. "Belgium" makes you wonder what's so wrong with the country that it's a swear word?

[allah-sulu.livejournal.com]

Belgium is way funnier. Good thing he came up with something original for the bowdlerized version rather than just changing "fuck" to "feck", "frack", "damn", or "@#$%!"

[a-ferins-tale.livejournal.com]

I couldn't answer Belgium. Schipperkes are Belgium. Besides the most offensive world in the world is 'bureaucrat'. It's even obnoxious to spell.

[nara-cat.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I just learned that, too. I suppose it makes a little more sense this way, but it did cause me to make some rearrangements in my assumptions. Which is probably all for the best.

[secoh.livejournal.com]

I speak fluent Australian and Drunk.
I'm also not bad at Southern Obnoxious Drawl.

Thanks to Aussie TV having saturation of both US and UK shows I'm mostly across pop differences from all three places

[kd5mdk.livejournal.com]

I could swear my version has it as crosswalk.
Or maybe I'm thinking of the radio play.

[ankewehner.livejournal.com]

Ah, OK. So "zebra crossing" doesn't exist in AE?

You have heard of humped pelican crossings, too, now, yes?

[secoh.livejournal.com]

They "Ameriocanized" it I think IIRC, depending on the edition. No-one outside the US seems to call it a sidewalk/crosswalk.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Generally no. We just use parallel lines at intersections to mark where pedestrians cross.

"Humped pelican crossings?" I think over here that's just called a "Speed Bump". :)

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Given that I am effectively a bureaucrat, I can only agree.

[ankewehner.livejournal.com]

Pelican crossing is "pedestrian light controlled" or something - person pushes button, traffic light changes to stop cars and let pedestrians walk. And, yep, "speed bump" seems to be called "speed hump"...

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Okay, got it. I don't think we have a particular name for those lights, mostly because they never seem to work when I need them during rush hour traffic.

[thorkell.livejournal.com]

I speak fluent Icelandic, and pretty darn good English (if I say so myself). Used to live in England for 18 months or so when I was a kid. I got the joke first time.

[chaypeta.livejournal.com]

That just proves there are exceptions to every rule.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

I speak fluent Australian and Drunk.

Sayeth moonshadowed the Wife, "Aren't those the same thing?"

[secoh.livejournal.com]

Hey we're not ALWAYS drunk!

but it sure helps... :)