IT IS THE SHINEST SPRACK

Each place ends up with its own peculiar expressions, which almost form a private language. Sometimes this is just limited to members of a family, or fellow-students of a particular year. Sometimes it's a local flash in the mouth of extremely short duration.
And occasionally there are explosions of linguistic splendour.

The other day I heard something that left me scratching parts in pleased bafflement. A locution that made no sense at all unless one recognized (after considerable pensivitizing, too) the English expression that gave it birth.
And given the context, there could be only one interpretation.


拿棒鬍 NAA PAANG WU


Take the cudgel moustache. Erm, what? Take the cudgel moustache! Naa paang wu, I say! We must 'take the cudgel moustache'.

Okay, if you insist.

Except that the circumstance in which the expression was used indicated quite clearly that what was meant was "knock on wood".

Yeah, there are other Chinese characters that could be used to transcribe the sounds. They would make quite as little sense. All language is at times contextual. With a bit of luck, one's hearers will grasp the meaning fluently, without stumbling over the odd pronunciation, naa paang wu.



A 'dekista' is a taxi, by the way, and 'ekbis' is something that Abu-Fehdi has ever since denied saying. In case you were curious.




==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================