Thursday, July 9, 2009

Adventures of a Grammar Nazi

Guilty of Grammar Fraud in the First Degree!I was at Van Houtte getting breakfast (bagel with butter, Earl Grey tea and yogurt with blueberries and mueslix) when I spotted a nice display with two hanging baskets. The top basket had bananas and the bottom basket had some nice Granny Smith (green) apples.

There was a sign that said "Banane et Pomme 40¢", (Banana and Apple 40¢) so I asked as a bit as a joke, "Est-ce que c'est banane et pomme pour 40 sous ou est-ce que c'est banane ou pomme pour 40 sous?" (Is it banana and apple for 40 cents or is it banana or apple for 40 cents?)

This caused incredible confusion. "Oui c'est 40 sous pour les deux." (Yes, it's 40 cents for both.)

"Parfait, je prends les deux pour 40 sous." (Great, I will take both for 40 cents.)

"Non, non, ce'st 40 sous pour chaque." (No, no, they are 40 cents each.)

Which is of course not what the sign said and not what she said originally. Of course what she meant was that both the apple and the banana were 40 cents each, not that they were both 40 cents together, or in French, "Oui, les deux sont 40 sous chaque."

I only ended up buying the apple for 40 cents.

Sign is still wrong though.


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