Risks and Benefits of a Gun in the Home

[frau kaleun]

Google Translate gave me some of the gist of it but I suspect it's a lot funnier than that, lol.

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Google Translate gave me some of the gist of it but I suspect it's a lot funnier than that, lol.

Yes. Something was lost in the non-translation. All I'm getting from my long-lost high school Deutsch class is window and morning.

[Skybird]

The joke just can't be translated. the change of just one letter in "der", from r to m ("dem"), completely changes the meaning of ther whole sentence, totally. By meaning, she was saying "When I looked out of the window, the morning was breaking". With the changed letter and article, the meaning of the sentence the husband implied, is this: "When I looked out of the window, the morning got horrified".

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Skybird

The joke just can't be translated.

What I got was that she wakes up and sees a new day dawning, and he wakes up and looks at her and sees a "dread Tomorrow" (as Google phrased it).

[Gerald]

Is there room for laughter now,

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by Skybird

The joke just can't be translated. the change of just one letter in "der", from r to m ("dem"), completely changes the meaning of ther whole sentence, totally. By meaning, she was saying "When I looked out of the window, the morning was breaking". With the changed letter and article, the meaning of the sentence the husband implied, is this: "When I looked out of the window, the morning got horrified".

Ahhh. Malapropisms. Always hilarious in the native language, but they don't travel much. I imagine a lot of the English ones fail too.

[Jimbuna]

I must admit I didn't catch the humour at all but that is probably because I learnt a little Dutch and not German.

I honestly wasn't aware the Germans were well known for their humour.

Nothing personal Sky...simply an observation from an ignorant Brit

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

I must admit I didn't catch the humour at all but that is probably because I learnt a little Dutch and not German.

I honestly wasn't aware the Germans were well known for their humour.

Nothing personal Sky...simply an observation from an ignorant Brit

Sky, like me probably, is still trying to figure out how this thread drifted from the relative merits of gun ownership to malapropisms.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Sky, like me probably, is still trying to figure out how this thread drifted from the relative merits of gun ownership to malapropisms.

Do you have a solution

[Bakkels]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

I must admit I didn't catch the humour at all but that is probably because I learnt a little Dutch and not German.

I honestly wasn't aware the Germans were well known for their humour.

Nothing personal Sky...simply an observation from an ignorant Brit

Jim spreekt Nederlands? There's a surprise for me. How come you learnt a little Dutch Jim?

But to go ontopic; I'm glad gun ownership is very restricted here, but it's historically so much intertwined with American culture I understand banning guns there isn't applauded by a large part of the population. It seems to me it's more than just defending yourself, the fact that you can own a weapon in the US also has a symbolic function. Again, I'm glad you can't just go out and buy a weapon here, but I understand why you can in the US.

[DarkFish]

Originally Posted by Bakkels

Jim spreekt Nederlands? There's a surprise for me. How come you learnt a little Dutch Jim?

He lived here for a while

Maar ik vraag me ook af hoeveel Nederlands je nou eigenlijk spreekt, Jim. Laat eens wat zien

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Bakkels

Jim spreekt Nederlands? There's a surprise for me. How come you learnt a little Dutch Jim?

I speak a bit but am unable to write much at all.....two and a bit years living and working in Dordrecht.

[RickC Sniper]

Originally Posted by Bakkels

It seems to me it's more than just defending yourself, the fact that you can own a weapon in the US also has a symbolic function.

Exactly.

I am a gun owner but you are correct. It is all about the freedom of choice.