Raffle for half a beef (true story)

[NJMo]

Erika is my new daughter-in-law. She is beautiful, talented, educated and multi-lingual with German as her primary language. She grew up in a large city and has now moved to a very very small town in Southwest Missouri. Because of her languages, she takes all things literally, all things… very literally.

Brian my son came home from a club meeting with some papers in his pocket. He put them on the dresser. Here’s what happened.

Erika: What’s that?
Brian: Raffle tickets.
Erika: For what?
Brian: They’re giving away half a beef.
Erika: If we win, how will we get it to our house?
Brian: Don’t worry. We can borrow a pick up truck or someone will bring it and put it on our front porch if we’re not home.
Erika: No!

Insert call to Brian’s mother… Brian is laughing so hard he can barely speak; Erika is nearly crying.

Me: What’s wrong?
Brian: Here, talk to Erika. Tell her what half a beef is.
Erika: No, no. Tell him I do not want to win.
Me: Why?
Erika: I do not want one of those. We will have one eye, one ear, half a tongue, two of those udder thingies… it will be so bad! And on our porch?? Please......no.
Me: No, that’s not what it really means (and I go on to explain about hamburger, steaks, buying half a beef, etc.)

Gotta love language barriers. :D

[stitchcrazy]

Haha - that is great! It actually sounds like something that would confuse me as well and I have no language barrier! I'm wondering if she's blonde like me... ;)

[NJMo]

Oh yes, she is blonde. Blue eyes, blond hair.

[StitchinGrandma]

HA! TOO funny. I can just imagine that conversation. I'd loved to have been nearby to watch your face.

[idesign]

Great story! LOL.

[stitchcrazy]

Can i be honest and say I didn't know what half a beef was either (until you kind of explained it in your story)?

[anpola]

That is very funny! The joys of learning another language!

[artsiegirl]

Stitchcrazy - there's no way you're a true GA girl and didn't know what a half a beef was, are you? And my inlaws accuse me of being a "city girl!"lol

Just kidding! My youngest sister is the girl the blonde jokes were written about and she has these misunderstandings all the time. Recently they were having a storm & the electricity went out. She knew she couldn't iron her dress with no electricity so she put it in the dryer to get some of the wrinkles out. When it wouldn't start, she called us to say that not only was her electricity out, but now her dryer wouldn't work either! After we explained it, she said she honestly didn't know that the dryer ran on electricity. My husband told her that really there are lots of hamsters in there spinning that wheel really hard to get it to go! Bless her heart!

[stitchcrazy]

I grew up on the coast! Ask me about seafood and I gotcha covered! Haha. I think your sister and I could be gooooooooood friends!!! I love her already. My MIL is blonde like me and we have many many laughs over stuff just like this!

Stitchcrazy - there's no way you're a true GA girl and didn't know what a half a beef was, are you? And my inlaws accuse me of being a "city girl!"lol

Just kidding! My youngest sister is the girl the blonde jokes were written about and she has these misunderstandings all the time. Recently they were having a storm & the electricity went out. She knew she couldn't iron her dress with no electricity so she put it in the dryer to get some of the wrinkles out. When it wouldn't start, she called us to say that not only was her electricity out, but now her dryer wouldn't work either! After we explained it, she said she honestly didn't know that the dryer ran on electricity. My husband told her that really there are lots of hamsters in there spinning that wheel really hard to get it to go! Bless her heart!