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