language, um, barrier

[jay]

Yesterday afternoon I attended a contractor demo for the FAA, about web-accessible flight obstacle databases and automated chart/map generation. The demo was fine... but one of the engineers spoke with a thick Indian-subcontinental accent. Again, no problem, my Ph.D. advisor was an immigrant... but this fellow seemed to have some problems with similar-sounding words. Such as three times saying "data suppository" instead of "data repository"...

Comments

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

Oh, my. Trying to imagine what that would be ...

-J

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

And what that implies for, say, data backup...

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

*snort* at what the commentor above said. HEE!

And this does bring up one of Akien's favorite Indian-accent tales. Not a sound-alike, but a word construction error. After having talked for a while about a particular project, the fellow was discussing what would happen afterwards. He said it was the "post-cursor" to the project. :^D Hey, it's logical, after all! If you can have a precursor, you can obviously have a post-cursor, right???

[princeofwands.livejournal.com]

"It took until about week 8 to realize that when he said 'devil-up', he was not instructing us to invoke some demonic conjuring ritual. Honestly, I think it all made more sense before that epiphany."

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

*splutter* oh, that's really good... or evil, take your pick ;). I might even intentionally slip it into less-interesting project meetings to see if anyone notices... heh.

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

It's... logical, after all... heh. (imagining a stream of invective aimed at the streetlamp that one's car has just embraced... or someone that *really* hates junk mail... )

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

I'm sure, what with all those telecons where you talked about dry-drilling without a lubricant, you had no trouble keeping a straight face.

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

Me? Sure... it was always hopeforyou that was on the verge of losing it then ;).

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

Are you around? or in meetings?