When I was a kid, we used pig latin so our parents wouldn’t understand us. When I was a parent, we used pig latin so out children wouldn’t understand us.
My mother and grandparents spoke Irish when they didn’t want us kids to understand what they were talking about. As an adult, I lived in Ireland for a time and learned to speak Irish. Proudly, I tried to impress my mother with my linguistic skills but with poor results. She couldn’t understand my accent and I couldn’t understand hers.My mother and grandparents came from County Armaugh in the North of Ireland. I learned to speak Irish in Dublin !
She’s just waiting to hear the timer ‘ding!’ from back in the kitchen.. This is a neighborhood BAR we’re sittin’ in.. (which, BTW, she’s right… they’re pretty much disappearing around the industrial towns) Belly-pincher music, Friday fish-friesand Sunday AM ‘eye-openers’… Good times.. Prosit !
Most of the classic movie moguls came from garment district New York and discussed movie matters in Yiddish in front of those they didn’t want to understand. Edward G. Robinson was fluent in German and quickly picked up enough Yiddish differences to understand. Once, when the discussion started, one of them said, “Don’t bother, the goy knows!”
My parents spoke French in front of my sister and me. When it came time to learn a 2nd language, I chose Spanish, because of my parents’ French. Then my husband and I spoke Spanish in front of our son, and what language does he chose? French. (Of course I do speak French now – though far from as well as my Spanish.)
I like the Beverly Cleary story in which Ramona overhears Beezus talking about the PTA and demands to eat some. The reason was not immediately obvious.
gwaktek: The story was that he joined the discussion in Yiddish. I got my version from Robinson himself in a TV interview. Yes, I knew he was of Romanian askenazi origins.
dugharry over 11 years ago
never jump to conclusions young lady!
linsonl over 11 years ago
When I was a kid, we used pig latin so our parents wouldn’t understand us. When I was a parent, we used pig latin so out children wouldn’t understand us.
Linguist over 11 years ago
My mother and grandparents spoke Irish when they didn’t want us kids to understand what they were talking about. As an adult, I lived in Ireland for a time and learned to speak Irish. Proudly, I tried to impress my mother with my linguistic skills but with poor results. She couldn’t understand my accent and I couldn’t understand hers.My mother and grandparents came from County Armaugh in the North of Ireland. I learned to speak Irish in Dublin !
unca jim over 11 years ago
She’s just waiting to hear the timer ‘ding!’ from back in the kitchen.. This is a neighborhood BAR we’re sittin’ in.. (which, BTW, she’s right… they’re pretty much disappearing around the industrial towns) Belly-pincher music, Friday fish-friesand Sunday AM ‘eye-openers’… Good times.. Prosit !
hippogriff over 11 years ago
Most of the classic movie moguls came from garment district New York and discussed movie matters in Yiddish in front of those they didn’t want to understand. Edward G. Robinson was fluent in German and quickly picked up enough Yiddish differences to understand. Once, when the discussion started, one of them said, “Don’t bother, the goy knows!”
GSJohnson over 11 years ago
My parents spoke French in front of my sister and me. When it came time to learn a 2nd language, I chose Spanish, because of my parents’ French. Then my husband and I spoke Spanish in front of our son, and what language does he chose? French. (Of course I do speak French now – though far from as well as my Spanish.)
Stephen Gilberg over 11 years ago
I like the Beverly Cleary story in which Ramona overhears Beezus talking about the PTA and demands to eat some. The reason was not immediately obvious.
Buggerlugs over 11 years ago
I heard that in WW2 some American POWs would speak in Pig Latin so their guards wouldn’t understand them.
hippogriff over 11 years ago
gwaktek: The story was that he joined the discussion in Yiddish. I got my version from Robinson himself in a TV interview. Yes, I knew he was of Romanian askenazi origins.