From: utzoo!decvax!cca!hplabs!hpda!bvi@sri-unix
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Title: Re: yet another language anecdote
Article-I.D.: hpda.204
Posted: Mon Aug  2 11:10:13 1982
Received: Wed Aug  4 01:22:19 1982

The Spanish word for butter is *NOT* 'burro', it is 'mantequilla',
derived from 'manteca', meaning 'lard'; this contrasts with the 
English 'butter' and the French 'beurre' (if I remember my rusty
French), and the Italian word, which I believe has the same base
as the English and French.  The people who ordered eggs 'el burro'
may have been using some colloquialism such as 'eggs over easy'
which was common where they came from, but not widely known.
Ane example of an odd colloquilasm is the Spanish name for 
Guiness stout, which is referred to as 'Cabeza de Perro', or 
'head of dog', because the Spanish Guiness label has a reverse
label with an English bulldog on it.  [ooops - read 'One' for 
'Ane' up above!]

			Beatriz Infante, HP Design Aids Lab