Erich should have really put the sarcasm on ’em hard. Maybe they could have paddled hard enough to get them that fourth place spot anyhow.
Do Germans do sarcasm? I honestly don’t know the cultural applicability of things like sarcasm. What about the various Asian cultures? I’d be fascinated to know how much sarcasm plays a day-to-day role in, let’s say, rural areas of India, or high-density population areas of China. Whattaya think? Can you picture a Nepalese guy saying, “Oh, SURE! I’d LOOOOOVE to carry your junk up Mt. Everest so you can tell your friends YOU climbed AAAAAALL the way up there without mentioning that I HAD YOUR TENT AND STUFF ON MY BACK” That’s put ol’ Edmund Hillary in a squirmy sort of mood, wouldn’t it?
The power of sarcasm is only slightly less than the power of cheese.
Japan does not do irony or sarcasm. Toilet humor, and slapstick are huge, though. If Helga hit Erich in the crotch with her paddle, that would make every variety show in Japan within the hour.
In Ojibwe, Odawa and Cree, our language has a “pejorative” context.
We often, endearingly, lovingly, call each other assholes, fuckers, douche etc.
We’re not being rude, we’re just being us. HOWEVER you never call an elder anything other then “Respected Elder” or “Auntie”/”Uncle”.
Danes absolutely LIVE on sarcasm, to the degree that many Danes have gotten into trouble abroad when people took what they said on face value. But then Danish has a number of ‘modifying words’ which, in context, signalize that this should not be taken too seriously – however, the foreign language Danes will normally be talking in is English which utterly lack such words.
I actually have heard that line from speeders. They are late so they are going faster to make up time! Late is late….faster just makes you a little less late.
Team Eurosphortsen (?spell) is actually behind? Oh dear. And that they can’t possibly take first at the landing… wanting to see Erich get past pfeffernusse at the Farmer’s Market. Fresh lovely fragrant still warm and freshly powdered with powdered sugar (a sort of a ginger snap cookie is closest description (some say spice, I say gingersnap) ) Erich will be the one I predict that is arrogant enough in he can spin to the finish, to stop at the farmer’s market and load up on those little cookies.
I like gingersnaps that have been rolled in sesame seeds before baking.
Your note reminds me of the Hark A Vagrant comic strip about “The First Man to Visit the North Pole.”