Sunday 10 September 2023

Inter-Species Humour

ERB's green Martians laugh at the sight of blood, battle injuries or war wounds. John Carter learns not to laugh in circumstances where it might be misunderstood.

Noah Arkwright's introduction to "A Sun Invisible" says that human beings are the butt of bawdy jokes elsewhere in the galaxy. (I think that Noah Arkwright says this. I do not have the relevant volume to hand.)

Merseian humour can be gusty, cruel or incomprehensible - so maybe like green Martian?

"[Flandry] had in his turn baffled various [Merseians] when he visited their planet; even after he put a joke into their equivalents, they did not see why it should be funny that one diner said, "Bon appetit" and the other said, "Ginsberg."
-A Circus of Hells, CHAPTER ELEVEN, p. 271.

I must be a Merseian.

 

5 comments:

S.M. Stirling said...

It's funny because of the misunderstanding -- the man who says "Ginsberg" thinks "Bon appetit" means "What's your name?"

Further humor is added by the fact that "bon appetit" is so common.

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Thanks. I think.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, to Both!

At least I have some idea of what "Bon appetit" means. Something like "Good appetite" or "Good eating."

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Sean: More or less "Have fun eating", or "Dig in!" though it -literally- means "Good appetite!".
.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaaaor, Mr. Stirling!

That is about what I thought it meant.

Ad astra! Sean