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:
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.
Thanks. I think.
Kaor, to Both!
At least I have some idea of what "Bon appetit" means. Something like "Good appetite" or "Good eating."
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: More or less "Have fun eating", or "Dig in!" though it -literally- means "Good appetite!".
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Kaaaor, Mr. Stirling!
That is about what I thought it meant.
Ad astra! Sean
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