Gaff. Photo by Eric Chan
A story from my friend:
I had this experience when I was a math teacher in East San Jose. I had a ton of Spanish-speaking students, so I’d talk in my inexpert Spanish occassionally, just to make myself understood. Once I had hay fever and wanted to explain to my students why my eyes were so watery. Hay fever is ‘fiebre de heno.’ Apparently ‘heno’ and ‘ano’ can sound rather similar. Imagine how much more concerned my students became as they politely reacted to the news that their teacher had ‘anus fever.’
For related reasons, you’ll want to exercise caution when wishing Spanish-speakers a Happy New Year, or ‘Feliz Año Nuevo.’
YOUR TURN
Ever make a jackass of yourself trying to speak another language? If you haven’t, you’re not trying hard enough.
Share your haunting experience in the comments section below. Who knows, maybe it will help you forget and move on with your life (don’t bank on it).
